The Damnable Affair
by Joker-Fan20
Summary: Sheldon continues his day-to-day schedule without disruption. That is, until a Batman-loving, intelligent surgeon captures his mind and body, and even manages to disrupt his daily routine without him even knowing. Can someone make Sheldon Cooper fall for his 'baser urges? Past negates it, but Future says otherwise. SC/OC. Rated M for later chapters.
1. Meeting Infinite Soul Mates

Chapter One: Meeting Infinite Soul Mates

Sheldon was alone in the apartment, not that he would have it any other way. With Leonard and Penny having continued their carnal relationship, they'd moved to her apartment, doing what they normally did which involved the unsanitary exchange of bodily fluids. Raj was elsewhere, probably with Howard at work or in some other uninteresting location where the two regularly hung out. And, being that Amy was no longer his girlfriend, Amy was with Stuart at a comic book store, or as her facebook status was updated, she was located apparently at the movies.

Sheldon clicked off the internet, feeling unusually alone. He didn't care for human companionship; he could take it or leave it. Before Leonard, he didn't want or need it, but the friendships he'd obtained were almost…necessary. He was alone, all right, and for once in his life, Sheldon was compelled to seek company.

He found it on his MySpace, where he had over two-hundred friends, or would-be friends. He felt neither compelled to associate personally with them; he merely blogged his ideas, they responded, and the commentary below aforementioned idea would continue.

Clicking to this site, Sheldon glanced around the apartment, knowing he was alone. For some reason, he did this constantly. It wasn't a crime for him to be on the internet, granted it was his bedtime; it was three minutes past nine o'clock, but he knew finding friends at this point of time would be not only unnecessary, per the time, but also unlikely. Leonard and Penny would be performing coitus, and he definitely didn't want to barge in on that, or even wish to hear it.

Howard was probably with Bernedette, and Raj was most likely transpiring in his apartment, arguing with Priya, who was still sore about Penny's ability to obtain Leonard. None of this mattered to Sheldon; the problems in relationships were no cross for him to bear. He bore such things with Amy, merely because she was his equal as far as intelligence was concerned. Her carnal pleasures had taken to Stuart; Sheldon was still considering that perhaps he was jealous, but it didn't concern him.

He moved the mouse over 'notifications' when his MySpace alerts made a soft 'pop'. Seeing them, he smiled ever so faintly.

'You have been Followed by Kate Burns.'

Sheldon made a quiet 'hm'. He was curious. He had followers of each gender, for who would not like to hear his thoughts on the topics of every day life. He clicked on her profile, and a picture of a blonde female came to the middle of the screen. Her full name was Kate. A. Burns, which in her profile, she specified her middle name to be 'Amy'. It was odd.

_It's not a coincidence, _Sheldon thought. Of course not. Coincidences were not real; in fact, they could easily be calculated. Still, it was interesting to know that there was follower. It made him smile. He looked further into profile, reading her biography, the general details of her stature.

'Height: 5'6.' She was a great deal shorter than him. Who needed stature?

'Age: 26.'

'Occupation: Trauma Surgeon, Ph.D., M.D. (MMMS)'

Sheldon was a little impressed at her credentials. The abbreviations were easy to understand, and in what they specified was hardly cryptic. Kate Burns, or so said her name to be, was a trauma surgeon—doctorate, masters—the MMMS—Master of Medicine, Master of Surgery. Still, even his friends—well, except Penny and Howard—were doctorates. What intrigued him more was that he was actually interested in his new follower, or more really, that he even recognized her to be remotely appealing to the eye. Her physicality was very attractive; her profile picture had bright green eyes, a peculiar gleam to them, and her smile was almost plastered to be constantly a grin.

Sheldon continued on, forgetting about her appearance. He continued reading. Of course, it was no longer a multiple choice/Selection process for the rest of it. In fact, the rest of the bio was pretty much all fill-in-the-blank, which Sheldon enjoyed as his answers were spot-on to his preferences. Hers seem to be her own making as well.

'Religion: What religion?'

Sheldon exhaled a breathy laugh, ha-ha. Her question to the question was humorous.

'Sexual Orientation: Straight.'

'Hobbies: Video games, Fate, Skyrim, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Star Wars, Star Trek, Batman'.

Sheldon was perplexed. How could a hobby be Batman? More or less, how could a hobby be an object, idea, or anything in particular? Unless, she was stating that her interests and hobbies frequently coincided so rather than answering a question twice, she joined them together as one to spare her the tedious typing. Sheldon shrugged; smart girl.

"Batman," Sheldon muttered. He smiled. No real hero but the caped crusader—apparently, she liked the masked bat a lot. "Continuing on…"

'Favorite Movie: Refer to Hobbies/Interests, i.e. above.'

'Favorite Books: Anything.'

That was the last of the 'favorite'. The next category was simply questions answered by those who spent their life on the internet and figured if they were spending that much time on something as that, they can spend time answering the questions. Sheldon was one of them. He saw that Kate Burns, or rather, Dr. Kate Burns, was another.

'Who is your favorite super hero? Batman.'

'Who is your second favorite super hero? Flash.'

'If you could meet anyone in the world, who would it be?'

The answer to the question more than flattered Sheldon Cooper as he saw his name written as her answer; she even put his title, Doctor, before his name, and the following degrees he'd obtained, and were written on his site. Sheldon's eyebrows raised; he was slightly impressed.

The last question of the survey was what 'The One' would be like if she ever met him, or pending sexual orientation, her. Sheldon wasn't interested with things like this, but because his name was on her profile, and the fact that her interests included his as well, he became very interested in her answer.

'What is your ideal mate? _I believe there are many mates in the world that can be or would be ideal to me. In a multiple universe, we have infinite numbers of ourselves in infinite universes. Despite my knowledge in this, I have only myself as one person to figure out this question, so my ideal mate would most likely be, in any universe, intelligent. I have no qualms with physicality, just as long as I can connect with him on an intellectual level.'_

Sheldon thought of how Raj and Howard and put him on a dating site, and found an equal mate that matched his caliber. Amy, of course, was the match, and she had been the only match that the internet had, as Howard mentioned, 'spat out'. But Sheldon agreed with Kate, or at least, she had agreed with him, with the multiple-universe theorem. The fact that there were many universes was tangent, the fact that Kate understood the world was filled with idiots was yet another that intrigued Sheldon. Perhaps he was not the only more-evolved humanoid on this Earth. But he suspected that like Amy, Kate was susceptible to baser urges; what girl wasn't?

"We can come up with some agreement, some contract," Sheldon muttered vaguely. He didn't intend to meet this woman anyway; he was looking for company, not another difficult relationship as Amy had given him, or rather, trapped him in. Sheldon shrugged. He could use this as a second experiment. Were relationships all that bad as long as he found a disproving experiment? He'd have to find out.

As he thought about communicating with her, it wasn't long before a chat bubble popped up in his lower right screen: Kate Burns would like to Chat, Accept?

Sheldon glanced at his clock. It was nine-thirty. Lord, where did the time go? Still, he was alone, and he didn't have to work tomorrow. His routine would suffer for it though, but his uncertain need for the company was very unnerving. He'd not sleep a wink feeling this way, his insomnia would overpower.

Sheldon sighed and accepted the chat bubble's invitation. When he did, the next line boosted his ego.

_Thank you for accepting my invite, Dr. Cooper. I was wondering if I would get the opportunity to speak to you._

Sheldon grinned broadly. He typed back.

_I only hesitated for a few milliseconds before divulging. I noticed you are now one of my followers. _

Her response was immediate as his.

_I am. You should also investigate Twitter. _

_Why is that?_

_I'm a follower on there as well; I find your blogs quite intriguing._

_Most people do._

Sheldon found the conversation, so far to date, very stimulating. He wondered why Penny couldn't talk as Amy or Kate did, then again her lacking in educating further than half a degree in Community College would have explained that. He should have known better than to ask himself that before knowing the answer. Oh well.

The woman's reply was longer than her last responses.

_Does it not irk you that my following status of your Twitter and MySpace account is intricately odd, if not more disturbing or perturbed? For all you know, Dr. Cooper, I may be a creeping fan girl? What are the odds that I am as I say I am, or furthermore, that you are the true Dr. Sheldon Cooper? You know how people are on these websites. If I'm not mistaken, one of your followers as well, a Howard Wolowitz, fell under the impression that he was, as most people say, 'boinking' a rather attractive Glasinda the Troll, when in fact, it was a male janitor, working at your university._

Sheldon frowned. The complication of that last statement was oddly perplexing. How she came to find out that Bernedette and Howard had the so-called misunderstanding of that inquiry was surely befuddling. But twitter was like Facebook; gossip spread just as quickly and although Sheldon didn't participate in such hokum, he was acquainted with the situation. He responded.

_Howard is a friend of mine, yes, and he did have an unlikely encounter with your aforementioned Troll. He was moronic to fall for the illusion, but then again, he only has a Master's Degree. As for my true identity, I'm the one and only Dr. Sheldon Cooper. The idea that there would be someone another the same world depicting my thoughts is an abomination._

Her response was apologetic.

_Your defense is reasonable; I apologize. I wanted to be sure you were the true Dr. Cooper and now some addlepated twit. A question of interest: What is Howard majored in if not a doctorate?_

_He's an Engineer for the NASA program._

_That sounds interesting._

_Hardly; the field lacks definition of science; it's all mechanical. A simple-minded mechanic for the Deep Depths plumbing agency could figure it out. _

_That's rather insulting._

_Truth hurts._

Sheldon figured the woman would exit out of the chat like all the other interviewers did. His honesty was truthful, his opinions were his own, and if asked, he stated them. Mrs. Mary Cooper raised no liars. However, her response was more than agreeable.

_I agree that Howard Wolowitz could be able to go for a doctorate; after all, it's presented in his field; the doctorate would only make him more appealing to science inquiries. At least it gives him an edge to associate with lesser minds._

_How is that appealing?_

_I never said it was appealing; I said it gave him an edge, not you._

_Thank goodness._

_Yes. I'm actually not interested in Wolowitz; it was pleasant conversation. _

_This is a pleasant conversation, I agree. I was reading over your personal biography, as it is meant to be read. I noticed your occupation features surgery._

_Yes, I'm a trauma Surgeon. I work in Pasadena General Hospital; it's a few miles from where I live. I enjoy the field._

_I can't imagine why. The germs you accompany from the hospital would be terrifying. _

_I acquire no germs. I'm actually very…oh, how can you say…overt when it comes to dealing with germs and any other diseases that are acquired and transferred in the hospitals. You'd imagine what I can come up against therefore I wear gloves all throughout my shift—bathroom, during the shift, during my break. _

Sheldon smiled. It was ironic that a doctor—more or less, a surgeon—would be as hygienic as he. The thought was interesting, that was for sure.

_I believe your situation VS the diseases in the hospital are, as the terminology states, 'dramatic irony'. Truth be told that if people were more concerned about their welfare and less concerned about quick transfer, we'd have broken through the biological warfare long ago and never need to worry about any of it._

_Dr. Cooper, I could no more agree with you than I have already. I understand your field of expertise is physics. _

_I'm an expert at really anything now and days, but yes, I'm not a stranger to physics. One can certainly learn to fight these atrocities accommodated throughout hospitals with physics if one would learn to do so._

_One has to understand physics in order to do so; some people are ignorant in that regard. I, myself, allude to the fact. I'm a surgeon and do not understand many physics but respect the people that do. _

Sheldon was a bit disappointed. She proved to be exceptionally intelligent but her lack of knowledge in his work was quite offensive, still, he had grown to accept Amy with her lack of knowledge in the field, even somewhat admired her knowledge in neurobiology. Then again, the acceptance had taken a wrong turn and thus ended that they were in the friendship-only zone, or as Leonard states, 'the friend-zone'. Sheldon shook it off.

_I am a bit disappointed you don't understand the field. It's a fascinating practice._

_I can only hope we can surpass the difference. You don't like my workplace, and I don't completely understand your area of expertise, but I'm sure we can overcome that in order to continue our supposed friendship, if friends you wish to be. If not, I completely understand that as well._

_I can teach you physics; I'll never grow fond of your workplace. Then again, I've lived with a man who delves himself in experimental physics, so I'm guessing it won't be too hard to befriend a woman who delves into the anatomy of decapitated and otherwise doomed sickles._

_Morbid, but understood, Doctor. _

_It's getting late, Dr. Burns. I'm retiring for the night. I keep a well-strict routine and as much as I enjoyed our conversation, I'm afraid I can't have you interrupting it._

_Understood. We shall have future conversations. _

_Indeed. Good night._

_Good night, Doctor Cooper._

_Oh nonsense, I think we can at least advance our friendship to an initial step in aforementioned friendship. Call me Sheldon._

_More than obliged; You may call me Kate. _

_Very well. Good night, Kate._

_Good night, Sheldon. _

Sheldon exited the window and he glanced at his clock. It was nearly ten-thirty; he'd spent an hour typing to a surgeon. It was interesting how lonliness could depart your soul to Hell and back. Then again, it wasn't a bad conversation. It was almost as stimulating as those he'd had with Amy. Ah, Amy. Sheldon frowned.

"The beating organ of a humanoid has no boundaries; it even welts in this homo-novus. Oh damn." Sheldon stated aloud. He shut down his computer and proceeded to his bedroom. Although his circadian rhythms would be slightly out of whack tomorrow, he knew he could sleep a little better.


	2. Discovered

Chapter Two: Discovered

Sheldon didn't tell the rest of the friends about his new text buddy, Kate. In fact, he tried keeping it on the down low as long as possible. His feelings of telling Penny was moot; when she found that there was a so-called 'Shamy' she became a high-pitched gaggle of 'awws', and that was something Sheldon was most bent on preventing. Even so, he thought of telling Leonard, but the experimental physicist would eventually release all secrecy to Penny during intercourse, no doubt. Howard was out of the equation, and Raj…well, Sheldon didn't care to tell Raj anything about his personal life.

It was clear his and Kate's friendship was quiet; although, they did tweet each other back and forth on the Twitter home page, which connected Sheldon's friends to her friends, who were equally smart. Sheldon was rebooting his computer system; it was taking time, but he spent the spare time viewing the Twitter page from his smart phone.

He saw the most recent update, but it was Kate's text to him that made Sheldon review his most recent notifications.

_It's a wonder how people r living these days._

The text was most befuddling, but Sheldon was interested. He replied back.

_What are you talking about?_

Her text was delayed momentarily but as Sheldon clicked a few more options on the rebooting system, he was met with an instant, albeit long, text message.

_I had a patient arrive in my ER recently, not but ten minutes ago. He's recovering, but I doubt he'll live much longer. His leg was bitten by a badger._

Sheldon wasn't surprised. Badgers were awfully combative, and even more so, territorial. There'd be an incident with his Uncle with a badger, and he texted Kate that incident.

_There was a badger incident with my family as well, long ago. My uncle was going to look into the problem but alas, a hungry vicious animal overtook him. He said 'hand me that flashlight', and that was the last statement he'd ever made. _

There was a text a moment later.

_That's very sad. Apparently, badgers have won many awards based on their territorial and predatory instincts. _

Sheldon found this statement befuddling as well, but he found her pun on the word 'badge' in 'badgers' and he made a small breathy laugh. His response was a simple 'lol'. At that moment, his computer made a small 'bing', which only meant one thing and he was excited.

_As interesting as our conversation has become, I'd like to place a pause on it. My computer database has been finally rebooted and I'd like to start renewal._

Her reply was simple.

_Okay. TTYL._

Sheldon grinned broadly and then sat at his computer desk eagerly. It was time to renew the computer he'd loved into the same computer, only more high-tech. After a while, the system needed a touch of TLC and it was high time he did it. There was a small ding on the computer, which gave Sheldon's curiosity a moment's peak. He brought up the notification and saw that it was a Facebook Friend Request. It was Kate's.

Sheldon didn't hesitate in adding her; she was on his Twitter, MySpace, and now, his Facebook. They corresponded via this and texting. What was more to Sheldon's fascination that so far, they'd spoken for a month and she'd not asked him to meet her parents, as Amy had done. In fact, what was most intriguing was that Kate had not even brought up meeting in person, but Sheldon, for the first time in his life—and could not even bring himself to admit it even mentally—wanted to meet _her_. It was odd to say the least.

On his Facebook, Sheldon could see Kate's wall posts; he'd only looked to see just what kind of things she posted as her updates. So far, there were only pictures of herself an older woman, who Sheldon presumed was her mother. Kate's statuses were interesting:

_My mother never fails to amuse me._

_Wishing I could fly, then I wouldn't have to watch idiots flail their arms at each other while waiting in a bunched up traffic assembly line._

_If I didn't need my heart, I'd sell the organ for a watch; at least, I'd have good timing ;)_

_Your mind is brilliant, and so is mine; together, we'll rule all Earth. _

The last update status was the most recent; updated 10 minutes ago. Sheldon perceived that she was speaking of two things: the two of them, but he didn't want to go so far as to misjudge her status. After all, it was clear that the two of them were brilliant, possibly matching each other in calibre. The only other person qualified to pick his brain was Amy, and Sheldon knew she could and would figuratively and literally.

He brought up the message box and typed her name as the contact. The subject was her named 'software updates'. He began typing.

_Correct me if I'm wrong, but I doubt I am, who is the brilliant mind to which you are referring in your most recent status update? _

Her message was immediate; lord, did she spend her time on the internet? Did she work at all?

_I have brilliant mind, Dr. Cooper. Are you referring to your inference that I may be referring to you?_

_That was a highly unnecessary configuration of the word 'refer'._

_I was making a pun. _

_Noted. You still haven't answered my question._

_If I were to say that you would be that brilliant mind, that would be redundant; not to mention, beating a dead horse. The fact you are brilliant goes without saying. My ambiguity on the internet is for your protection, only._

Sheldon shrugged; it was nice to know she was protecting his identity on the internet.

_You're right, of course. _

Kate's reply was a simple colon with a capital 'P'. Over the month of communicating with the trauma surgeon, Sheldon had become familiar with her allocating smiley faces. When she sent a face indicating a tongue sticking out, he knew she was somewhat giggling or chuckling. When she sent a smiley face that was a regular , she was generally smiling. Her wink faces was a joke hidden, which sometimes Sheldon had a hard time defining; still, Kate was brilliant as he.

_Can I ask you a question, Dr. Cooper?_

Sheldon sighed deeply. Oh dear Lord, she's going to ask something deep and derivative, or perhaps—even scarier—something intimate and personal. But her question was not 'Can you meet my mother' or 'can you be my boyfriend'. In fact, her response was nice.

_Joker is constantly trying to make Batman laugh, making puns and the like. If Batman ever laughed, do you think the Joker would lose interest and find another caped crusader? _

For once, Sheldon was stumped. It was not the question that made him perplexed; he knew the answer, of course. However, unlike Amy—why did he need to compare this woman constantly to Amy, he didn't know—Kate revealed an interest in Batman, perhaps DC in relevance. Never had Amy referred to anything Sheldon enjoyed, although they did have a run when Amy was procuring all the knowledge of his interests and hobbies to elude him into fondness. Still, she'd done that in order to pull his feelings for her into the open; Kate was unintentionally doing so.

_Hello?_

Sheldon shook his mind out of mental reverie. He'd forgotten to respond. He was ready to pursue her inquiry with an excellent remark but at that moment, Howard, Raj, and Leonard entered the apartment with boisterous conversation.

"I'm not saying Star Trek should redo the whole series like they pretty much did with _Next Generation _but you have to admit," Raj was saying, "that Next Generation did have some…"

"Oh, stop it," Leonard stated, "Next Generation has nothing over the Original Series."

"They call it original for a reason, Raj," Howard pointed out. "It's original."

"Well," said Raj, "Point taken."

Sheldon looked around at the three, particularly frustrated that their sudden onset conversation had lulled him out of his message-writing. The group acknowledged him with a 'hey', and Sheldon rolled his eyes.

"What's with you?" asked Leonard, off put that Sheldon was, for once, without word.

He ignored him.

Sheldon looked at the message that returned.

_Sheldon, if you were Batman, would you prefer Robin as a sidekick, Batgirl, or Harley Quinn?_

_Why would I choose Harley Quinn? She's Joker's accomplice._

_Joker's accomplice could be a perfect asset with Batman; she'd know everything the Joker is doing. Granted, she'd become a double agent, which Joker would eventually figure out. _

Sheldon made a face inclining that he agreed with Kate's assumption.

"Hey, Sheldon," said Howard. He stepped over to Sheldon's chair, looking over his shoulder at the computer.

"Yes?"

"What're you doing, buddy?"

"By reflection, I'd deem it unnecessary to explain what I'm doing as it's very obvious. I'm on Facebook." Sheldon stated distractedly. He was in the process of replying to Kate's interesting inquiry.

_You are implying that Harley Quinn would, as one would say, pull a cover over the Joker's eyes to accommodate Batman's investigations? That seems highly risky, not to mention the betrayal. I may be an advocate of Batman VS the Clown Prince of Crime, but betrayal is quite unforgiveable. In the end, Kate, the world would be non-beneficial to Harley's double life. _

Howard looked at Sheldon.

"Sounds like you're having an awfully deep conversation," Howard mused. He leaned over Sheldon's chair to read the messages, which Sheldon hardly hid. It was only when Howard's face became close to Sheldon's that he minimized the window and looked abruptly at the engineer, for he'd invaded his personal space.

"What are you trying to accomplish?" asked Sheldon irritably.

"You've been isolated to this spot for a month," Leonard pointed out. "We're curious."

"Curiosity never gave the student cookies from cookie jar, instead, one received a smack from the hand of an iron bar," said Sheldon.

The three stared at him.

"My mother regularly referenced the rhyme when I became weak with my curiosity," said Sheldon. "Obviously, as I'm a scientist, her efforts in the matter were futile."

"Sheldon," said Raj, "I don't mean any offense by this but, are you crazy?"

"I'm not crazy; my mother had me tested. I don't understand the reason for your inquiries. After all, I spend most of my time on these social networks; it's not at all suspicious for me to be on them now."

"Yeah, true," said Lenoard slowly. "But you're not insulting Penny as much as you do, and I've breached the Roommate Agreement several times in the past week, and you've…"

"You've done what?" Sheldon exclaimed, standing up quickly.

"Here we go," muttered Leonard.

"Yeah, dude, you shouldn't have said anything," Raj stated, sitting in the middle cushion.

Sheldon still stared, open mouthed, at Leonard, who was regretting his earlier confession already.

"What have you done?" Sheldon said slowly.

"Well…"

"Let's see," Howard interjected, "you've had sex with Penny in your bedroom for the past week or so without any notice. You've watched Babylon 5 while Sheldon was asleep in his bedroom—we even watched it with captions and audio commentary"—Howard said, smirking at Sheldon, who was starting to twitch—"We also drank all the milk in the refrigerator after eating tons and tons of cookies. We had Thai food on Wednesdays, and instead of tangerine chicken, you had lemon chicken."

Sheldon looked infuriatedly at Leonard and voiced, "_I told you I knew the difference!"_

Leonard looked helplessly at Howard, his own anger surfacing; Howard, meanwhile, smirked at the lot.

"Face it, Sheldon," said Howard. "Whatever has you occupied on the internet has clearly been grabbing your attention, not to mention ruining your day-to-day routine. As I understand it, Leonard said you were still out of bed after hours."

"I was busy," Sheldon responded.

"Busy?" Leonard said, chuckling. "You were on Facebook."

"So?" Sheldon said, sounding much like a child who had no other excuse.

"You never stay up after eleven," said Leonard. "Unless you count that one day where we dressed up as the Justice League and waited for the New Year's Count Down."

"That was fun," said Raj, grinning.

"Never the less," said Leonard to Sheldon, ignoring Raj, "Something has clearly taken you out of this world."

"Or," Howard said seductively, "Someone."

"It's not Amy," Sheldon said immediately.

The boys looked at one another, perplexed. However, Raj was smirking.

"We never said it was Amy, or anyone we knew."

"Drat," muttered Sheldon.

"Is it that person you've been talking to on Facebook?" asked Howard. He reverted to dodging Sheldon and sitting in his chair. He pulled up the facebook minimized window, and quickly clicked on the profile that Sheldon was messaging. When the picture of Dr. Kate Burns occupied the center of the screen, Howard was shocked, seeing the beautiful woman with eloquent blue eyes, shining platinum blonde hair, and a reverent smile on her lips.

Definitely not like Amy.


	3. Unhealthy Batman Obsession

Chapter Three: The Unhealthy Batman Obsession

Sheldon felt like he was in trouble when Howard discovered Kate's picture. Why did he feel like he'd been hiding—oh, right, in a way, he had hid Kate and his friendship from the group. Leonard was the first to ask why.

"My reasons are not exactly mysterious," Sheldon pointed out, sitting at his spot on the cushion on the far left. "When Amy and I were discovered, I had to endure the ridicule of Howard's unflattering mind, and Penny's high-pitched unnecessary garble about synchronized names of 'Shamy'."

Howard sat in Sheldon's chair, still. His eyes hardly had left the screen.

"Why hide her, though?" asked Leonard, occupying his chair. "You're obviously still bent about Amy dating Stuart."

"I'm not 'bent', as you've erroneously assumed. I'm not even remotely jealous." Sheldon stated.

"And why would you be?" Howard pointed out. He looked at the picture with a hint of interest. "She's a knock-out."

"I hardly doubt so; she's not unconscious." Sheldon stated.

"No, no—not 'knocked out'; she's a knock-out."

"Exactly," said Sheldon.

Raj and Howard exchanged 'what the hell' facial expressions but Leonard was over the mix-up. Instead, he was smiling broadly.

"So what's her name?"

Howard answered instead of Sheldon; he was reading her profile.

"She's a trauma surgeon at Pasadena General Hospital." Howard said. "She's Dr. Kate Burns, has a surgeon's residency over thirteen years."

"Wow," Leonard said, smiling. "She sounds nice."

"Nice is how you describe your job, Leonard. In this case, she is delightful." said Sheldon monotonously. He still looked irritated that Leonard had breached the Roommate Agreement, even more irate that he hadn't even noticed, but the fact that the three had invaded his privacy was even more irritating, surprisingly.

"So what do you all talk about?" asked Raj. "Can't be anything like you and Amy talk about, if you call that 'talk'."

"You know what I find amusing is that you three believe I am obsessed with the Amy and Stuart partnership but I hardly voice my opinions, instead, it is you three that constantly refer to them," Sheldon stated coolly. "Odd, is it not?"

"Odd it is," Howard replied, "but I know I'm not the only one that knows you automatically assumed us to be talking about Amy."

Sheldon gave him a sharp look but he was caught in the act.

"I'll quote what most teens are saying now and days when they come to a situation they choose not to discuss nor to address: 'Whatever'." Sheldon said. He stood to his feet and walked into the kitchen to get himself a bottle of water.

"So how long have you two been talking?" Leonard asked. Frankly, it was not his business but Leonard's curiosity made Sheldon wish to divulge further.

"A month," Sheldon said, "or to be exact, a month and two days, twenty-three hours, 32 minutes and five seconds, and counting."

Howard rolled his eyes at Sheldon's particular behavior.

"What makes her want to talk to you?" asked Howard.

"Why wouldn't anyone want to talk to me?" Sheldon inquired, clearly befuddled. He joined Leonard on the couch, sitting, as usual, in his spot.

"You're obnoxious," Raj stated.

"And yet, here you all are inquiring my business," Sheldon replied coolly.

"Forget what I said—what do you all talk about?" asked Howard.

"First off, I cannot simply _forget_ what you said. I have, as I've told you all several times before and will probably repeat myself several times in the future, an eidetic memory. Second, I'll gladly answer your first question, which I'll say to it is that Kate believes I have a brilliant mind, and who can argue with that?" Sheldon said, earing rolled eyes from Leonard and Howard. "And lastly, what is included in our conversations are strictly private but since I'm presuming you're inquiring general day-to-day conversation, our most recent topic is Batman."

Leonard was in mid-drink of a soda before he heard the last bit and spit out all the contents in his mouth, to Sheldon's aversion.

"What?" Leonard coughed.

"If I repeat myself," Sheldon replied, "are you going to evacuate your saliva on the table again?"

"No," Leonard said, suddenly embarrassed.

"Batman," repeated Sheldon.

"She likes Batman?" asked Leonard.

"On a contrary, I think she's slightly obsessed with our favorite caped crusader. She's lately brought to attention and interesting inquiry. She's asked me if I was Batman if I'd like Robin, Batgirl or Harley Quinn as my side-kick."

"I'd get Batgirl," Howard said in a sultry tone.

Sheldon stared at him but went on.

"What about you, Raj?" asked Howard.

"I'd take Robin," replied Raj.

"Why Robin?"

"He makes funny puns as he fights," Raj said with a light giggle.

"I'd take Harley Quinn," Leonard stated.

Sheldon looked at him.

"It's amusing how you say that," he said. "Kate brought up something similar."

"How's that?"

"She's explained to me, although such explanation was unnecessary, that if Batman were to take Harley Quinn as his main apprentice then Gotham could single-handedly rule itself, as Harley would be a double agent. Granted, her theory was sublime, but also wrong. Harley Quinn is insane and most likely to board with the Joker rather than succumb to a good-doer like Batman. Such a world does not exist, alas." Sheldon said, looking a bit dazed.

"That's what you all talk about?" asked Howard. "Batman and the Joker's arch-rivarly and whether or not Harley would be with Batman?"

"That's not all we talk about," said Sheldon. "It's the most recent conversation, which, thanks to you, was so rudely ended on behalf."

"You didn't have to stop the conversation," retorted Howard.

Sheldon looked ready to respond until he heard a text message ringtone—ding dong. He pulled out his cell phone and saw that Kate inquired his sudden leave from Facebook. He responded that his friends had come into the apartment and he had to suffer their questions.

_We were discovered, huh?_

_Most unfortunately, yes._

_Practically puts down my anonymity on Facebook, doesn't it? What r they saying?_

_Does it disturb you to know what they're saying?_

_Not really. But seeing they r ur friends, I figured I might as well try 2 b interested in them._

_Why would you want to be interested in my friends? I'm not your boyfriend and you're certainly not my girlfriend._

_Not unless u want 2 change that but I'll keep that entirely up 2 u._

Sheldon was affronted. He hadn't been told she wanted to be with him in that circumstance but it was baffling, her response.

"What's with the face?" said Leonard.

"They're texting," said Howard, laughing. "He doesn't know what she's saying in real life."

"Real life is referred to as 'reality', Howard. Escape the lamence terms from third grade," Sheldon scolded, "and bring yourself to the adult table."

"What's with the tone?" asked Howard.

"Look," said Sheldon. He handed Howard his phone and he read over the messages.

"Wow," said Howard, looking at the phone as though it had grown two legs and sprouted arms.

"What?" asked Leonard and Raj.

"It's the second girl that wants to be with him," said Howard. He looked at Sheldon incredulously. "You just draw them in, don't you? It's so bizarre."

"It's not bizarre," Sheldon said. "It's…"

"Don't say 'fascinating'," said Leonard quickly.

"It's not just fascinating," said Sheldon. "It's interesting."

Leonard gave Sheldon a 'what the hell' look but he ignored it. Sheldon was in awe of Kate's reply. She wasn't enforcing it, but it was clear she didn't mind being his girlfriend. Granted, he had gone that extra effort with Amy because Amy had made a front with her mother. Sheldon doubted Kate's inference was the same.

"What should I tell her?" asked Sheldon, slight panic was rising within him.

"Just be aloof, dude," said Raj. "She'll probably go along with it. Just as long as you don't say 'okay' or 'yes', I think you'll be fine."

"You _think_?" Sheldon emphasized. "I need more of a commitment to a piece of advise before I take it, Raj."

"Well," said Howard. "I'll put it to you this way. Until you and this chick get together, Kate will be on the market. And as far as I'm concerned, she's ripe for the picking."

"Howard, you're married to Bernedette," said Leonard. "You can't even flirt with her."

"I'm not saying me, per se." Howard stated quickly. "Just pointing out that guys definitely will go for her; she's a beaut."

"Howard, she's a woman," said Leonard. "Not some car."

"Car or not," Sheldon said, "I'm not planning on her being my girlfriend."

"No one plans on anything," Raj said. " But you imagine that Kate's got some liking to you; that in itself has to be extraordinary."

"Everyone likes me," said Sheldon. "It's because they're too stupid to realize they like me that gets in the way of my acquaintance with people on this morbid place we call 'Earth'."

"And you wonder why people aren't your friends?" asked Howard pointedly.

Sheldon rolled his eyes, shook his head. He took his phone back from Howard and went to his room. It was past ten o'clock, past nine for his bedtime and he needed to get out of the room before their conversation became way too out of hand.

Still, as he dressed for bed and laid down, he was thinking of Kate. Why did he feel the compulsion to claim Kate for his own when he knew the relationship would only progress to a comfort zone he could no longer uphold? The cuddling was none too appealing. The having to do with the girl's problems was not his cup of tea, nor his Mountain Dew. He'd keep things the same and wouldn't have to deal with any of it. There, he could do that.


	4. Scrubs Are Elegant

Chapter Four: Scrubs Are Elegant

Sheldon and his friends were in his living room, eating pizza. He wore his normal comic-book adoration shirts over long sleeved matching shirts, and chino pants. Joining them was Stuart, Penny, and Amy from outside. Although Sheldon felt no discomfort with Amy, despite their going-different-ways, it was Stuart that seemed to feel uncomfortable. Bernedette was also joining them; there was a whole lot of people in the room at once—Penny had brought two chairs from her appointment to accommodate the extras.

Amy, Penny, and Bernadette were discussing Prada bags—Amy would add her two-cents about having a bag that was big enough to hold a monkey who smoked cigarettes, and had left remnants of ash in her purse.

The room was boisterous with conversation and the television, which was showing the animated series of Batman. For some reason, Sheldon could only think of Kate—Batman had that affect on him now and days.

There was a ding from his phone, which Sheldon knew it was probably Kate.

_R U watching Batman: The Animated Series, right now?_

Sheldon placed his plate on his legs, which were covered by a folded napkin. He wiped his hands on a second napkin and typed her back.

_Yes, actually. Are you?_

_Yes. I'm only waiting for the next episode._

_What is that?_

_B-Man takes Harley out of Arkham 2 find out where Joker has been hiding, so as 2 stop the bombing of Gotham City, and its inhabitants. _

_Might I say, that you have an unhealthy obsession with the Dark Knight? _

_I call it a darker adoration. _

_Just as disturbing._

_If I'm disturbing then U R quite the disturbance yourself. I saw a picture of UR comic book collection; very elegant._

_I'm not obsessed; I'm a fan._

_As am I, Sheldon. Do you know what I like most about Batman?_

_I'm afraid to ask._

_He doesn't need friend hero. He's a smart, calculating, and he jumps rooftop to rooftop in the Batmobile. If I ever get rich enough like Bruce Wayne, I'm acquiring a manageable team and I'll hire each of them to make me a likeness of the Batmobile._

_That's highly improbable but should it ever happen I'll ask U 2 take me on that ride._

"Who are you talking to?" Penny's voice called out to him.

Sheldon looked at Penny.

"Talking is an action depicting lip movement and dialogue. By definition, I'm talking to no one." Sheldon replied.

"Fine," she said. "Who are you texting?"

"Kate Burns," Howard blurted.

Sheldon shot him a glare but the news was out. Penny looked remarkably amazed.

"Who's Kate Burns?" she asked.

"Correction, Howard and Penny. It's Dr. Kate Burns," Sheldon remarked coolly. "And to coin a phrase, Penny: Mind your own business."

Penny turned to Leonard for information and because Penny held Leonard's sexual desires in her hand, he practically folded right there, saying that Kate and Sheldon had met on MySpace and Twitter and now were Facebook friends, texting and emailing on a daily business.

"Yeah," added Howard, "And not only are they doing that but there have been several times where Sheldon had diverted from his routine just to keep talking to her."

"Diverted?" Amy repeated. She looked at Sheldon. "You never amended your schedule while we dated."

"Albeit, I never had to," Sheldon responded.

Amy looked slightly affronted by his comment but Stuart, who was equally offended, touched her hand and Sheldon looked from the pair to Penny.

"To circle the conversation back to your question, Penny, Dr. Burns is a trauma surgeon, regularly involved in the blood and mess that occurs behind closed doors on Scrubs." Sheldon explained.

"Scrubs are nice," said Raj, referring to clothing. "I like scrubs."

"Who doesn't?" Sheldon and Leonard replied unanimously.

"They're very flattering," said Bernadette, smiling.

"They look rather 'flattering' on Dr. Burns as well," said Howard, wiggling his eyebrows at Sheldon. "Don't they, Shelly?"

"They do," Sheldon admitted openly. He looked distracted but cleared his throat, returning the situation at hand.

Amy looked at him with some interest.

"Are you attracted to this woman?" asked Amy curiously.

"Attraction is a simple matter of the mind, Amy," Sheldon replied.

"We were together for two years," said Amy coolly, "and you never once complimented my clothing attire or the flattery it contained."

"Perhaps he didn't have to," Stuart said, touching her cheek with the back of his hand.

Howard and Bernadette were at odds with the rest of them. Amy and Sheldon had dated, sure, but to come to think of it, Sheldon never really complimented Amy's appearance. In fact, he only complimented her intelligence. Penny and Leonard had told each other they liked each other's bodies, as had Howard and Bernie but it was odd now that the topic was here in the open.

Sheldon looked at Amy and Stuart before standing to get himself a bottle of water. The TV then announced that the next episode was appearing. There was a text from Sheldon's phone and he brought it to his screen.

_I would make a science joke but all the good ones argon._

Sheldon chuckled with his soft breathy laugh. He got the science joke. Sheldon sat in the living room.

"Kate just texted me," said Sheldon, smiling. "She says 'I would make a science joke but all the good ones argon'."

Amy chuckled.

"That joke is amusing," Amy said.

"Indeed," Sheldon replied.

Penny, once again, looked lost.

"I don't get it," said Penny.

"It's an elemental joke," Leonard explained. "Argon is an element on the periodic table, and by saying…"

"You know what, I don't care," said Penny. She stood up and smiled at him. "I'm going to bed. Coming?"

"Sure," said Leonard without hesitation. He sped after her.

"I wonder what they're goin' to do," Howard said, grinning.

"I'd assume they're going to watch the series on her television," Sheldon stated naively.

Howard and Raj glanced at each other. Oh wow, they muttered.

After watching the episode and the others were leaving, the only people that remained were Raj and Sheldon. Raj was drunk evidently, and had all kinds of alcohol in his system. He was rather in his own world, admiring the television probably in blurs and lines. Sheldon was involved in the commercials. There was a new disinfectant on the market.

"Hey dude," said Raj.

"Yes, Raj?"

"Where do you think this thing with Kate will be going?" asked Raj.

"What are you talking about?"

"You 'n' Kate," replied Raj. "Do you think you're going to be getting together with her? I mean, how long has it been since u two started talking?"

"Six months," replied Sheldon, "17 hours, thirteen minutes and twenty-two seconds."

Raj shrugged his shoulders and said, "Perhaps you should be together?"

"That's ridiculous, Raj. I think the alcohol in your system has led your brain cells to frying and poisoning," Sheldon remarked. Although, for a reason he also wondered, the idea wasn't too far-fetched.

After the last episode of Batman, Raj was gone to get a taxi. Sheldon turned off the television and dressed for bed. As he got into the warmth of his blankets and situated himself in the covers, he heard his phone vibrate.

He unlocked it, and saw a text message from, whom else but Kate.

_I can't sleep._

Sheldon smiled; he so felt the same way.

_Try counting cows._

_Cows?_

_My mother taught me to count cows; I was raised in Texas; there were cows everywhere._

_Oh. Did u enjoy the episode?_

_I did. Although, I had a hard time enjoying it as much; there were a lot of people in the room and you cannot imagine the conversations I have had to endure since our being discovered._

_It's a shame it had to come in the open. R U mad that they know about us?_

_Mad is not an emotion, Kate. It's a mixture of different emotions combined to form an alpha emotion. And to answer your vague question, no, I'm not mad._

Sheldon wondered why he would be mad. Sure, he didn't want Leonard and all of them to find out now, then, or in the future, but it was inevitable to happen. It wasn't Kate's fault; it was Howard's.

_I'm willing to propose something 2 U, Sheldon._

_I'm unwilling to accept it on the terms that I don't know what I'm accepting._

_I'm not giving U an ultimatum. It's a suggestion._

_Go on._

_We have been communicating via email, facebook, twitter, and text messaging for the past half year. Out of much curiosity, I've procured 6 tickets to the _Fifth Element_ movie, 3-D, deleted scenes included. Would that B something U would like 2 do with me? _

Sheldon was enthused. He liked the _Fifth Element. _He enjoyed science fiction, book, anime, or movie but even more so when he had his friends. He enjoyed making comments throughout. To see the movie in all its glory in 3-D and with deleted scenes included was like giving kid seven hundred bags of candy for just Halloween, excluding the other holidays where candy was a major festivity.

_I'll be more than happy to attend it with you._

_Sounds fun. I'll C U soon._

_Good night, Kate._

_Good night, Sheldon._

Sheldon got out of bed and the first person to know they were going to see the movie was Raj; the rest found out the next morning, owing to the fact that they meet Kate as well. It was going to be an interesting following week.


	5. The CarJacking Culprit

Chapter Five: The Car-Jacking Culprit

**Author's Note: Reviews are welcome. I hope I'm keeping Sheldon's character in line. **** Tell me if you like Kate's character as well, most appreciated.**

Sheldon dressed that following week in the black Batman shirt with the colorful batman logo on the front. It was Penny's idea to wear what made Kate happy, and it was only a coincidence that the same day they were going to the movies was the same day that he wore the shirt.

Penny had heard about Kate's suggestion and when Sheldon was impatiently waiting in the car with Penny and Leonard, she voiced the situation aloud to him.

"So you're going to the movies with this girl you've been talking to for about half a year," said Penny.

"Penny, you certainly do have a gift of voicing the obvious," Sheldon remarked. He sat in the passenger seat of the car while Leonard sat behind Penny, the driver, who was looking insulted that Sheldon could never find a moment to properly compliment her.

"It wouldn't hurt to just have a normal conversation," said Penny.

Sheldon looked at her quite innocently.

"We _are_ having a normal conversation," he said. "What would be abnormal?"

She opened her mouth to speak, but Sheldon cut her off, saying, "You know what, I don't want to find out; knowing what you all speak about during coitus, I should have known better than to inquire your conversations, as promiscuous as they can be."

"Pro-what?" said Penny.

Sheldon glanced behind him at Leonard.

"Seriously, Leonard, how do you communicate with her?"

Leonard didn't offer an answer, owing to the fact that Penny was glaring out the wind shield. She looked impatiently at the apartment.

"Where's Howard and Raj?" asked Penny. "Aren't they coming?"

"I would hope so," Sheldon responded. "It's emphatically impractical to be offered tickets to a three D movie and not come. What's the point of being offered tickets if one will not show?"

"They're free," Leonard said. "If they don't come, we can always get Amy and Stuart."

"They certainly are not free; Kate bought them," Sheldon said.

"I thought you said she 'procured' them?" Leonard reminded.

"Procured is another word meaning 'obtained' or, in this literal case, 'bought'." Sheldon said. "And if those two don't place themselves in this automobile soon I'll have _procured _another reason to despise being friends with them."

Penny shook her head.

"What's so important about this movie, anyway?" she said off-handedly.

Sheldon stared at her as though she wondered aloud why the Earth contained humans, or why humans needed air to breathe.

"What's so impor—Leonard, I ask you again, how can you communicate with this woman?" Sheldon asked, shooting a look at his roommate. "Penny,"—he turned to her—"The importance of this movie is that it's being shown in 3-D, with added deleted scenes that were not shown in the original version, which would be the only exception why the originality would trump a remake," Sheldon said. He looked at Leonard. "By the way, I agreed with you when you said original series over Next Generation."

"It's one of the barriers I had to pass in order to get the apartment," said Leonard, smiling.

This made Sheldon smile that Leonard remembered the barriers. He sighed and when he did, the same time a small ding-ding exalted from his phone. It was Kate.

_I'm in trouble._

"Oh dear lord," Sheldon muttered.

"What?" asked Penny, "What happened?"

"It's Kate," said Sheldon. "She's says she's in trouble."

"What kind of trouble?" asked Penny immediately.

"I don't know, Penny, do I look like a psychic? And even if there lived such a thing, I'm sure if I was, I'd be able to tell you the…"

"Text her back, Sheldon," Penny snapped.

Sheldon gave her a look but he texted Kate back.

_What kind of trouble?_

_My car is gone._

_Your car?_

_My car; apparently, some1 has found a reason 2 steal. IDK Y. It's not even an antique, nor does it have any value._

"Her car was stolen," Sheldon reported.

"Now?"

"Just now," said Sheldon. He texted her again.

_Where are you at this moment?_

_Well, I'm at the theater. I made it this far. A man came 2 my car door and like an idiot, I believed his story that he needed help in putting his couch in his truck. I got out of the car and the moment I did, he took my keys and drove off. I've filed a report with the police, but u know how helpful THEY R._

"What's she saying now?" asked Penny, when she heard the ding-ding.

Sheldon looked at her.

"She was car-jacked by a man claiming to need assistance in heaving a couch into a truck." Sheldon said.

"That's horrible!" Penny exclaimed.

"I agree; why would anyone think to assist a man in moving a couch with only two people is remarkably stupid," Sheldon replied. "I'm surprised she hadn't thought that through."

Penny hit him in the shoulder and like a child, he whined 'Ow'. He looked at her with resentment.

"What was that for?" Sheldon asked.

"Your girlfriend—"

"—She is not my girlfriend—"

"—Was carjacked and all you can think about is how she didn't think about putting a couch in a creep's truck? What the hell, Sheldon?" Penny retorted.

"Okay, we're in," Howard and Raj said, entering the car in a group. They looked puzzled at the situation at hand.

"It's about time you two managed to accompany," Sheldon replied, looking at the two irritably. "What occupied your time so long that you've delayed Penny, Leonard, and I from meeting Kate?"

"Raj wanted a quick shower," Howard said. "I told him 'no, we have to meet Kate at the theater', but all the while he insisted on—"

"Guys, Kate was carjacked," Leonard interrupted.

"Oh no!" Raj exclaimed. "When?"

"Just now," said Penny. She pulled down the stick shift, gunned the motor and sped to the Pasadena Movie Theater. Going 120 miles per hour, Sheldon was sick with both slight worry for Kate, and the knowledge that if a car hit them, they'd be dead. They pulled over and found a woman that matched Kate's persona from Facebook standing in the street, speaking to the police, who were taking down reports on a tablet.

Sheldon pulled Penny back when she had begun to wallk right up to the girl.

"What is the matter with you? Have you lost your head?" Sheldon questioned.

"Sheldon, we have to be sure she's okay!"

"How can you be sure that's her?" Sheldon replied.

"Sheldon," said Howard, "she looks exactly like her pictures."

"That's preposterous. A million people could look like her," said Sheldon.

"Not in my experience," said Howard with an edge of attraction.

The police were talking rather loudly.

"What's your name again?" the sergeant interrogated.

"Dr. Kate Burns," said Kate.

"You were car-jacked as of 30 minutes ago, correct?"

"If you have short-term memory loss, I'm more than happy to repeat myself," said the irritated woman, "but if not, then I'm finding this interrogation is circling."

Sheldon smiled and said, "Never mind, I apologize, Howard and Penny, that must be her."

"I know," said Leonard. He leaned towards Raj and said, "She sounds like Sheldon when he's talking to Penny."

"I know," said Raj. "It's weird."

The group walked up to Kate as the officers left with the report of a stolen vehicle. Kate turned to see the group and looked at them with a smile, only the group realized that she wasn't really grinning. It was the natural curve of her lips and the high cheekbones that gave the false impression she was.

However, when the group came to stand before her and introduce themselves, Kate was smiling, indeed.

"Hello, Dr. Cooper," Kate said, smiling at Sheldon.

Sheldon came to realize that she had a low register, unlike Penny.

"Sheldon," he corrected, as per their text messages.

"Sheldon," Kate returned. She smiled. "It's nice to meet you, finally."

"I imagine it is," Sheldon responded.

The group seemed to have expected her to roll her eyes or say he was arrogant but instead, Kate was grinning broadly, as though she found his arrogance and overt confidence mildly attractive.

Penny stepped forward and hugged her. Another interesting response was that when Penny did so, Sheldon saw Kate slightly hedge, as though she was not so used to people hugging her. Then again, she worked in a hospital for the sick and dying so hugging was probably not her first nature.

"Who are you?" Kate asked.

"I'm Penny," she said. "I live across from Sheldon and Leonard."

"I'm Leonard," Leonard took the moment to introduce himself. "I'm Penny's boyfriend."

"I believe that was already implied," Sheldon pointed out.

"I like people to know," Leonard defended.

"It's nice to meet you, Leonard," said Kate. She shook his offered hand.

Howard took her hand and kissed the back of it sweetly.

"I'm Howard Wolowitz," he said, grinning.

"Oh right," Kate said, smiling at Sheldon. "You're the engineer for NASA, right?"

"Yes, milady."

"I hear you're also married," Kate pointed out.

"Yes…" Howard said, hedging. He seemed to lower his defenses and stepped back a little.

Kate turned Raj, who was the last of them.

"Rajesh," Kate stated. "You were in the People magazine, one of the stars." She shook his offered hand and he made a slight bow to her.

"And I guess you know me," said Kate.

"Not exactly," Sheldon remarked. "They've never spoken or emailed you personally. To know a person is to understand them and not even I know you."

Kate smiled at him.

"So we're all strangers, then?" Kate responded, a slight joking manner was clear in her voice. When Sheldon got this, he gave a beaming smile.

Kate glanced around when the officers who had interrogated her earlier approached her once more.

"Ma'am, can you give a description of the man that robbed you?" asked the officer.

Sheldon looked at Kate with some sympathy. Officers always needed a second or third repeat of the description; they could never get it down the first time. Instead of offering a sarcastic response, however, Kate was patient.

"Sure," said Kate. "He was six feet tall, broad shoulders—he dawned a black mask and when he flew away, he resembled a bat."

The officers stared at her.

"Are you referencing Batman?" asked one of the officers.

"Yes, and I'm sure he could find the car by now rather than asking me to repeat the description of my carjacker for the umpteenth time," Kate replied angrily. "In fact, I think he was the one trying to get it back. The actual culprit was about Sheldon's height, green hair, bleached skin, and when someone tried to stop him, he squirted acid from a green or purple flower."

"Ma'am, that kind of tone is unnecessary," said the officer, his face looking irate. While he was irritated, however, Penny, and her friends were snickering. Sheldon held his reserve, just intrigued that Kate was referencing comics to an officer while someone was driving away in her car.

"I disagree, it's very necessary," said Kate. "While you are trying to get me to explain a man's features for the fifth time in the past half-hour, I'm sure the culprit is far from Pasadena as possible. By no means should you need that description repeated as many times as I have—"

"Ma'am, calm down," said the officer.

"I will not calm down!" Kate spat. "You discuss the damnable man with your other colleagues. You find my car, you find my keys to my apartment or by god, I will give you a reason to tell me to calm down!"

The officer looked clearly intimidated as she stared him down with elusively black eyes.

"What's more is that I'm not going to stop here, no sir, I'm going to go to your boss. I'm going to make a complaint his lackeys can't remember five details about a guy who takes my car when I'm trying to help him move his damn couch." Kate stated. "But because you're trying your best, as limited as your efforts may be, I'll give you a damn description, and you better write it down because this is the last time I'll repeat it!"

The officer quickly flipped his notepad and readied his pen.

"Black hair, blue eyes, and he wore ski-mask."

"How did you know he had black hair?" asked the officer.

Kate looked at Sheldon impatiently, who reciprocated her impatience. When she turned back to the officer, she looked livid.

"How do I know—he had long hair down to here" (she touched her shoulder) "If you let me finish the description, I'll go on!"

"Sure, sure," said the officer.

"He was taller than me, bout a foot, and he had a New York accent."

"That's more than five details," Sheldon pointed out.

Penny nudged him in the ribs and he looked at her again with resentment.

"Stop hitting me!" Sheldon hissed.

"Shut up," said Penny.

"He also walked with a gait, like he was limping. Although, come to think of it, that might have been a façade."

"A what?" asked the officer.

"A façade," Sheldon repeated. "It's a word that defines a fraud-like gesture, demeanor, or an act played…"

"Be quiet, Sir." The officer said. He looked at the woman. "Anything else?"

"Yes," said Kate. "If you do find him, be sure to tell him that I hope he enjoys the carbon monoxide; I've left the windows down for a reason and he felt to roll them up when he escaped. My car has been running on exhaust fumes and after the movie, I intended to get it fixed; he'll be dead within a good 24 hours so that's your time limit."

The officers stared at her but Sheldon was in awe. When they ran to their cars and shouted red alert, Kate turned to Sheldon and the group.

"I was kidding," said Kate. "I haven't any problem with my car; it's in fine condition."

"So why lie?" asked Leonard.

"Well, they seem motivated more now than before," Kate stated smoothly. She smiled at Sheldon. "Ready for the movie?"

"Oh yes, I am," said Sheldon, beaming.

She handed them their tickets and they entered the theater.


	6. Phobias and Theater Sex

Chapter Six: Phobias and Theater Sex

Sheldon led the team through the theater, owing to the fact that he wanted to sit in the spot that he had claimed eternal dibs on when he and Leonard had gone to the theater beforehand. While Howard and Raj chose seats closest to the front, and Leonard and Penny chose the seats that were farthest from the screen, it left Kate and Sheldon to find the seats in the median, which was Sheldon's fondness. He hadn't intended for the friends to separate, and it had happened all the same. However, it didn't make him feel completely uncomfortable sitting in the seat while Kate chose one closest to the aisle. Curious as to why she had done so, he asked.

"Why are you inclined to sit on my left rather than my right?" asked Sheldon.

It was the commercials, trailers, pending previews, therefore the lights were on and the audience was still gathering in numbers. Kate looked at him and said with a smile, "I prefer it."

"To be on my left or to be near the aisle?" asked Sheldon.

Kate looked at him in a weird way. Sheldon was an expert on many things but two that really stumped him in more than several ways were sarcasm and facial expressions. Judging from hers, Kate was going to unleash some personal information.

"Don't judge me about this, okay? I have a…erm…problem," said Kate.

"Problems are meant to be solved," said Sheldon. "I can't see why it's anything to be ashamed about, or even more so, to be kept hidden from friends, if that's what you are implying."

"I'm not implying anything; I'm asking you to accept the problem I'm about to tell you," said Kate.

"Well, that's subjective," returned Sheldon. "You've yet to identify it, so I can't accept it."

Kate smiled at his relativity. Sheldon smiled back, mainly because she'd smiled first. He had learned for quite some time that before agreeing to or accepting to anything, he would find out the item, secret, or anything before accepting to keep a promise, accept a favor, or, for that matter, an invitation regarding a fundraiser. Sheldon supposed that Kate found this admirable.

"I have a problem with enclosed spaces," Kate admitted.

"Claustrophobia?" Sheldon replied, his voice taking on an octave of realization.

"Yes," she said.

"That's none too problematic," he said. "Phobias are natural—people assume them to be odd and quirky but you'd imagine most people to have them, as we are humans and sadly, we are adept to being afraid of the irrationality of things." He looked at Kate. "I couldn't help but realize that you are foreign to hugging people as well?"

"Beg pardon," Kate replied, chuckling.

"When Penny embraced you, Kate, you were a bit withdrawn," said Sheldon. "I can't cue facial expressions too well but I'm no stranger to discomfort."

"I'm fine with people hugging me," said Kate. "It's the people I don't know that hug me that makes me feel uncomfortable."

"Amen to that," Sheldon said.

Kate grinned broadly. She looked around at the theater and turned to him.

"Your friends are watching us," she muttered.

"Oh yes," Sheldon said, nodding his head. "They hardly see me with another woman, albeit, Penny, Bernadette and Amy, especially one that has, as Howard would say, more sexual appeal than Madonna. I don't know the comparison and I doubt Howard does either." He saw Howard occasionally glancing to see Kate, and then saw that Penny was whispering to Leonard, watching he and Kate. Sheldon found it annoying, but Kate was chuckling.

"What are you laughing about?" asked Sheldon.

"You don't go out much, do you?" asked Kate.

"Other than to the comic book store, to the movies, work, the Cheesecake Factory, and a Chinese restaurant—no," replied Sheldon. "Except one time, Leonard, Raj, Howard and I went to Alaska."

Kate asked about it and when Sheldon finished reviewing the expedition of his supposedly nobel prize, they had gotten to the conversation topic of how Leonard, Howard, and Raj had disproven his experiment with the electric can opener.

"Thus, ending my experiment and sabotaging my reputation," said Sheldon. He shook his head. "I've long ago forgiven them but I still bring it up to cause them guilt; it's one of my many attributes."

Kate turned to him, body and all.

"I'm only assuming you do experimentation because of your job and you also do it because you're a scientist, and you regularly bring your work home," said Kate.

"I do," Sheldon said. "A physicist never ceases to be a physicist in or out of the workplace; the curiosity is still here and there. Every now and again, I do have an inclination to go elsewhere in my field but physics is my love and life. I find it most appealing."

Kate smiled, saying, "You sound as though you're in love with your work. I don't blame you. One day, I had a surgical patient. He was sick, possibly dying."

"Possibly?" Sheldon questioned. "One is either dying or living, how can he be possibly dying?"

Kate shrugged, saying, "One of the paramedics in my field didn't know he was dead by the time he'd gotten onto my table. He felt the pulse and told me that he was living, just a faint heart beat. I said, 'well, lets get the guy on the table, no use wasting life'. I go as far as hooking him up and the paramedic says to me, 'oh, wait, I forgot to check his carotid'. He checks it, and then he says 'oh, I guess he's dead'."

"He _guesses_?" Sheldon emphasized.

"That's what he said," said Kate. She laughed and said, "In fact, that's exactly what I said."

"And what then happened?" asked Sheldon, truly interested.

"Well, there wasn't much else we could do. He was dead and gone, and there's no reason to do surgery to a corpse when they've been dead for several hours."

"Several hours?" Sheldon responded, just as astounded.

"Indeed," Kate said. "He'd been dead that long, and the paramedic was off his game. I wrote him up for it, granted, it never settled with the department that he couldn't tell a dead body from a breathing one. His family had a whole case about it, sued me for illegitimate claims. One thing led to another, and I was the one to blame for the death."

Sheldon cleared his throat and said, "I'm sorry, but what does this have anything to do with a love for a job?"

Kate smiled and said, "The fact is that I had to either say I was wrong or prove that the body had been dead for several hours, and the paramedic was wrong, not me. I dug up the grave, had a whole excavation process, and examined the body with two other surgeons and a mortician."

"And what did they come to discover?" asked Sheldon.

Kate took a long drag from her straw that strung its way into her large Diet Coke. She sighed pleasantly and looked to Sheldon.

"I was right," Kate said, smiling. "In part, if I had been wrong, I'd been charged with wrongfulness in the job description. I'd excavated a grave only to prove what had been wrong was valid. The whole thing was a giant mess, though, and I was given a suspension."

"Hold on," Sheldon said, raising his hand. "You were suspended…for being right?"

"Yes," Kate replied.

"What's the logic in that?"

"There is none." Kate returned. "The point is, Sheldon, I was right about my work and knowing I was right made me feel empowered. Knowledge goes a long way, especially when you have to dig up a dead guy to prove he'd been dead exactly 98 hours."

Sheldon shuddered. He couldn't imagine having to touch a body, never the less a deceased, and deteriorating corpse. Kate's job was morbid and traumatic at the same time.

Kate looked at her untouched popcorn; she'd drank most of her coke. She looked at Sheldon.

"Do you need a refill?" She asked, lifting her cup to incline to his.

"I could use a little more," said Sheldon. He handed her his cup. "Mountain Dew."

"Alrighty," said Kate. She took it easily. Sheldon felt her fingers glide over his but instead of reacting, he was fascinated. Her fingertip had touched his fingertips only slightly, but sensation was rather unusual. She took his cup and left the aisle. Did she feel it too? It had been like an electric shock, minus the voltage and excruciating pain that had been unlike the experience he'd gotten from being trapped in Howard's electric net, which had been originally intended for intruders, rather than him.

Sheldon saw the previews for a few movies, which he'd already seen with Leonard, Raj, and Howard. One of them was the new Star Trek movie, which was a bust. They'd waited fourteen hours to see it; granted, the seats were awesome but the movie itself was beyond poor. Another movie they'd eventually seen but were unsuccessful in seeing was the new Indiana Jones movie with 21 seconds of extra footage. That had been a feat lost when the theater had been filled; Sheldon didn't even get to see the actual projection which had been procured from him by the mob that'd run after the four of them when he'd taken it. His reason behind it was still valid. If he couldn't see the new movie, no one could.

The movie was starting its last preview when Kate came walking down the aisle. Sheldon watched her for a second before realizing he had become interested in not only her good timing but the way she walked, how her hips moved…Sheldon shook his reverie, slapped his mind mentally, and smiled uncomfortably when she arrived with a different cup, not the one he'd given her.

"What happened to the old one?" asked Sheldon.

"Some kid pushed me aside and it spilled," Kate said smoothly. "I got another one."

"Were your hands clean when you put on the top and straw?" Sheldon asked, not wanting the germs of her past patients to get on his cup and then circulate in his microvilli. He'd already been in the hospital once for a biohazard immunization.

"Even better," said Kate. She pulled out a pack of latex gloves from the back pocket of her prada purse. Sheldon raised his eyebrows.

"I'm impressed," he said, smiling, as she sat down on the left chair beside him.

"I don't know why you would be," Kate returned. "I'm a surgeon; it's only logical to carry them around whenever a violent crime may ensue. That," she said, "and I've read your blog."

"You've read my blog?" Sheldon asked, impressed even more.

"Of course. You're forgetting that I'm an admirer, Sheldon. I've followed you on Twitter and added you to my Facebook and MySpace. It's not a surprise to me that you have a germ phobia; most people do and they don't acknowledge it." Kate handed him his cup. She placed the latex gloves back in her bag and then withdrew a bottle of hand sanitizer. "I also have this basically out of habit."

"Habit?" Sheldon said.

"I wash my hands and sanitize regularly at work. To not do so when I'm outside of work defeats the purpose of doing so when I'm doing my job. I figure it's always nice to have some on hand when someone sneezes, or other germy things."

"That's the most practical and sensible thing someone has ever told me," Sheldon said fondly.

Kate nodded.

"I'm glad you understand where I'm coming from," said Kate.

"It would be illogical to not understand where you're coming from, being that I'll have no knowledge of where you'd be going." Sheldon stated wittily.

"That's an interesting statement, I'll have to put that on Twitter." Kate said. She pulled out her phone and did so.

Sheldon watched her fingers tap her smart phone. They were pointed and slender, very well-manicured, or at least Sheldon was sure Penny would think so. She had her fingernails trimmed to half an inch, no doubt her medical facility was influential on that part. He watched her for only a second longer and turned away when he felt a growing and warming bit roll in his stomach. A fluttery feeling repeated itself in his stomach and he wondered if this was nausea, oncoming sickness…it was the feeling he'd get when he had stage fright, minus the dizziness and fainting.

Kate looked at him shortly.

"Sheldon, are you alright?"

"Of course I am, why would I not be?"

"You look a bit…dazed," said Kate. She smiled shortly at him then went on typing on her phone.

Sheldon swallowed with difficulty. He suddenly felt uncomfortable. However, when the movie started and Kate's attention went to the movie instead of to him or her phone, he was more relaxed. He drank his Mountain Dew, and she, her Diet Coke.

The movie started with a loud introduction to the movie production, then continued with soft eloquent sounds of traffic and the like. Bruce Willis was the main character, so the movie was more than satisfying.

Kate leaned back in her chair and watched the movie in a sit-lying-down pose. Her legs were crossed at the ankle, which posed the fact that she was wearing blue jeans. Sheldon noticed she still wore her denim jacket from being outside and hadn't taken it off. Knowing she'd become distracted it taking it off later in the film, which would distract him, Sheldon offered her the reminder to discard the jacket in the heated theater.

"You're right," said Kate. "It is a little warm in here."

He watched her shed the jacket and to his surprise (and internal flaming pleasure), she wore a dark red T-shirt with the Flash's emblem on the front. On the hem of her shirt were yellow lightning bolts. Sheldon preferred she'd not taken off the jacket, for now he was distracted even more.

Kate smiled only for a second and drew her eyes back to the big screen. Sheldon did so as well.

There was a moment in the movie where Sheldon watched with utter pleasure. The woman portraying the 'fifth element' was a redhead, bright blue eyes, and she was the 'perfect woman' in this movie, the ideal girl that every guy wanted. Sheldon thought she was perfect, only because she spoke in the language no other man understood. A woman who could twist a man's loins without learning any language certainly was perfect, and probably empowered. Sheldon glanced at Kate, who was watching with a smile on her face; whether this was the smile she naturally had plastered on her face or a smile of pleasantry, Sheldon couldn't tell.

He felt a soft vibration in his pants…and pulled out his phone. There was a text from Leonard.

_This movie is great, isn't it? _

Sheldon frowned. He sent a text for that? Strike One for Leonard; conversation should only happen after the movie, not during, especially since there was no way to pause it. Sheldon ignored the message, and continued watching the movie.

Kate repositioned herself beside him. She looked uncomfortable. And she continued to shift in her seat.

"What's wrong?" Sheldon asked her in dulcet tones.

"Nothing," Kate muttered.

"I find that hard to believe." Sheldon remarked.

"I'm going to go to the bathroom," Kate replied. "I think my coke has caught up to me."

"I didn't need to know that," Sheldon responded.

Kate smiled and went jogging out of the theater. Sheldon watched the movie quietly, intrigued by the action packed film. For one thing about Kate that Sheldon understood was that she was in good taste for shirts and films. Two points in her favor, as he was concerned. Kate kept gloves in her bag, as well as hand sanitizer. Two more points. She was half a conversationalist, maybe more than Sheldon preferred, but her statements were unlike Penny's gibber gabber that took place about prada bags, shoes, dresses, make-up, and celebrities.

Kate returned shortly after, looking relieved. She sat down beside Sheldon once more.

"What have I missed?" Kate whispered.

"Not much," said Sheldon. "Bruce Willis has rescued his strange but attractive fare."

"That's not too bad," she whispered. "It's like a fairy tale, minus the dragons, knights, and unnecessary dresses."

Sheldon smiled. He watched the movie with Kate, and could hear her sighs when the Willis actor explained his dire attraction the perfect woman. Sheldon could only imagine what she was thinking; he wasn't going to hold her hand if that's what she was waiting for.

Kate looked annoyed for some reason a second later. The expression didn't quite fit on her face, it made her look unapproachable. In fact, it reminded him a lot of his mother when Mrs. Cooper became angry or annoyed. He found the resemblance both abominable and fascinating.

The origin of her annoyance was not hard to recognize. There was a growing sound that Sheldon unfortunately recognize, to which he was no stranger. He'd heard it from the apartment across the hall. He had to use noise-cancelling earphones to shut it out. The sound that was annoying Kate and disgusting Sheldon was the sound of two people making out and half-humping in the far side of the room, and not only they could hear it, but everyone else was aware as well.

"Good lord," Kate muttered. "I'm not listening to this all night."

Sheldon looked at her.

"You're going to confront them?" asked Sheldon. "I'd assume to just leave."

"I'm going to tell them to keep it down," she said.

Sheldon glanced at the man of the pair, and saw this guy was a large, muscular man. He resembled a few men that Penny brought to her apartment and left early the next morning. She'd get pummeled!

"I think we can just leave, and let them do what they do," Sheldon remarked. Kate looked at him.

"I'm not leaving a theater because they're too rude to acknowledge we all are trying to enjoy the movie," said Kate coolly. "I'll be polite."

She walked to the aisle and did as she said she was going to do. The couples were perturbed by her approach. Sheldon could hear their conversation; thank goodness for his Vulcan hearing.

"What's your problem?" said Kate.

The man stopped humping his girlfriend, who looked annoyed by the interruption.

"Excuse me?" said the large man.

"You heard," Kate remarked.

_Oh lord, another Penny, _thought Sheldon.

"I'm dry humping my girl here. What the fuck is your problem?" asked the large man. He gave his girlfriend a large toothy grin then turned to Kate. "Unless you wanna join, get the fuck off my back and back to your fucking seat."

Sheldon was offended by the language. Apparently, Kate was as well.

"There's no need to talk to me that way," Kate stated curtly. She sounded like a mother; in fact, Sheldon realized she sounded a lot like his mother. Or maybe that was by comparison of any mother.

"I'll talk to you how I want to talk to you, you little bitch, now get the fuck back to—"

"No," Kate remarked coldly. "You listen here, Mr. Man. I don't care what you do with your girlfriend or what you wish to accomplish in this theater but this is a movie theater, not a motel, or the bathroom in airplane. You want to fill her up in a theater, go ahead, but not while there do people like me want to watch this movie."

The large man removed himself off the girl and stood before Kate.

"You're lookin' to get slapped, little whore," said the large man.

"And you're looking to get your balls surgically removed from the rest of your body," Kate retorted coldly. "And I'll do it."

"What, are you a fucking doctor?"

"No," said Kate. "I'm a fucking surgeon."

"Then go 'head, make my day, cut off my balls."

Kate withdrew from her purse a scalpel-like knife and threatened him with it.

"WHOA, WHOA!" said the large man. His girlfriend looked fearful, and the man looked even more so. "WHAT THE HELL YOU DOING?"

"You said 'go ahead' so that's what I'm doing," said Kate.

"I was joking, girl, I was kidding, you know how people kid!" The man was nervous, backing up from Kate.

"Stop talking, and lie down." Kate said.

"No, I ain't gonna lie down!"

Kate took a step towards him and he started running, pushing people away and his girlfriend took off shortly after him. Kate smirked after them and she took her seat beside Sheldon as the theater took on a roar of cheering then settled down to watch the rest of the movie. Kate looked at Sheldon, who was staring her, scared as well.

"It was all talk," said Kate. She handed him the scalpel, but it was not a real one, just a plastic one."

Sheldon looked at her, still frightened by the act he'd just seen.

"I wasn't really going to attack him, Sheldon. He wanted to talk big so I started to talk big as well," said Kate. "It's easy to see who's a bluff and who's for real; proof, I am."

Sheldon eased down in his chair.

"Well, that's going to put a damper on the movie," said Sheldon, who'd received more horror and action in the theater than the actual movie itself.

Kate smiled.

"I'm sorry," she said.

"Oh, I hardly think you need to apologize," Sheldon said.

"If you say so," said Kate. She sat back in her seat and continued to watch the movie. Sheldon was still creeped out by Kate's display of aggression. Sure, he'd seen Penny's worst, which was punching him when he tried taking the ring or kicking the guy in the balls when he'd hacked Sheldon's World of Warcraft account, but that was the most. Kate had so far demonstrated an aggressive attack to a large man-like bouncer and a mockery to a police officer. Was Kate bi-polar, that was unlikely, but Sheldon had a thought that Kate was repressing a lot of anger.

"Do you normally pile on repressive manic-aggression or have these been unprecedented accidents?" Sheldon asked. He held the plastic fraud knife to his eyes and looked at Kate warily.

"No," said Kate smoothly. "I hate it though when people like him think they can overpower a girl based on their brawniness and selfish need to place their low self-esteem on other people to feel better about themselves." She looked at Sheldon and said smoothly, "I was bullied all my life by a girl named Taylor. I get tired of it."

Sheldon smiled and said, "I do believe we are steadily getting to know one another."

Kate grinned and returned, "I do believe so." She smiled when he continued looking at the plastic knife. "If you want to keep that, I'll give you some Clorox wipes to wipe it down."

"You have Clorox wipes?" said Sheldon, lowering the knife with enthusiasm.

Kate pulled out a package of wipes and smiled.

"Kate Burns, you emphatic vixen, I do believe we are reaching levels in our friendship," Sheldon said as he gladly took one to clean the knife then his hands. Kate grinned broadly and continued watching the movie, drinking her coke as she did so.


	7. The Germicidal Sacrifice

Chapter Seven: The Germicidal Sacrifice

It was a half-time in the movie, where the theater paused towards a good part of the movie and allowed those who needed to use the restroom to descend down the aisle and make a five minute break, whether that was to use the allocated bathroom break or to get a refill of their drinks. Penny and Leonard were gone to the refreshments and Howard and Raj had run to the bathroom. Kate looked at Sheldon.

"Do you need past me?" asked Kate, offering him an easy exit rather than the awkward shuffle in between the audience and the chairs before them. It was always awkward, either way you tried getting through the aisle.

"No, I'm fine," said Sheldon.

"I'm going to get a refill of my coke, and possibly a snack. Is that something that would interest you?" asked Kate, a smile playing on her lips.

"The cashier has some Red Vines in where they keep the rest of the candied goods," Sheldon suggested. "Have you had them?"

"Yes," said Kate. "They taste like Twizzlers."

"I most certainly disagree," Sheldon replied. "They are much better, more fiber, less the calories, and they have the proper firmness but equal flexibility that makes them the tangible goodness they were made to be, which hardly equals the subject of Twizzlers. All you receive from Twizzlers is a peelable candy, and that's hardly comparable to a vine."

Kate watched him talk and then after a moment, she nodded.

"You have made your point. If I see Red Vines, I'll get you a box," Kate returned.

Sheldon was a bit stumped by agreeable nature. If it had been Penny or even Amy, he'd have received some protest or declarative statement that would say otherwise. She practically accepted his opinion as her own.

"I think I should go with you, lest you be tempted to the Dark Side that twizzlers and red vines are practically, as you so called, alike."

Kate nodded with the same acceptance and he found it refreshing that a compliance could be made between he and another human being, aside from Leonard or Amy. How did that woman come to his mind when he was with Kate, Sheldon wondered, was beyond him. Was it the need to compare his relationship with a woman he'd been with to the woman he was currently having a movie and red vines with, or maybe that was something different. He'd have to talk to Leonard about it, or maybe Penny. He was no expert on emotions, or women for that matter.

Sheldon walked behind Kate and practically was pushed against her with the fifty people were coming into the room, all at a time. Against a wall, Kate shuffled through and Sheldon shuddered when some of the roudy kids pushed against him to get through, their sticky hands all on the walls, popcorn bags, and soon enough, himself. Kate looked back at him after hearing his gasp of agony.

"Come here," said Kate. She touched the sleeve of his shirt along his elbow and pulled him more towards the wall, so she suffered the pushes and touches of the women, men, and sticky children. Sheldon was somewhat taken aback by her, that she'd sacrificed her non-sticky self for the gum-infested, candy-eating boys and girls. When they'd gotten through the hall, and the way was made without people, Sheldon breathed finally, bending down slightly so he could take more air to his lungs, and rest himself.

When he looked up, Kate was leaning against the wall, looking like he did, except her face sweatier, and downright pale.

"Dear Lord," Sheldon said, "are you all right?"

Kate nodded but her face was even paler, and her hands were shaking. She looked as though she was having a panic attack. Nearby movie-seers had seen her and were edging to her, the concern in their eyes deepening when Sheldon came to her side, looking as worried as they did.

"Kate?" he said.

"I'm fine," she finally managed. She looked at the crowd around her. "Maybe not…"

"Oh right, you're claustrophobic," said Sheldon. He told everyone to take a step back, and 'give the lady some oxygen'. When the crowd slackened (and the movies began, they all scattered to the four winds to finish their movie), Kate looked more relieved. She turned to Sheldon.

"Thank you."

"You are welcome," said Sheldon. He looked at his watch. "I think we better get trucking; the movie's playing again."

"You go," said Kate. "I'll get the Red Vines."

"Are you sure? You're still pale."

"Are you worried for me, Sheldon?" Kate inquired.

"I'd say so. Your color is still very pale, your hands are shaking, and your perspiring on your neck and forehead. These symptoms are similar to a panic attack. By no means do I want any sticky handed person to deal with your systemic reactions if you should ever fall ill to that kind of suffering," said Sheldon smoothly. "Do you need Leonard's asthma inhaler? He keeps it with him. I'm a bit hesitant with you using it but life is precious; I'd personally die than use another person's inhaler, but I'm not the one leaning against a wall, hyperventilating."

Kate smiled. Apparently, he'd revealed some kindness, for she looked at him as though he'd done something heroic.

"I'm fine," said Kate again. "I'm just recovering."

"I don't blame you," Sheldon sympathized. "The germs that infest these seats, walls, and people are quite horrific in themselves, for save the ones that inhabit our bathroom sinks, door knobs, and pens."

"That is a horrifying thought," Kate agreed.

"Isn't it? I have nightmares."

Kate smiled again. Sheldon returned it.

"You can go; I'll be back," said Kate.

Sheldon returned to the theater, not missing the movie as it was not playing yet. When he sat, Penny was at his side, alarmed.

"Is Kate okay?" asked Penny.

"Yes, why?"

"She looked like she'd seen a ghost," said Penny.

"Penny, ghosts are mere images the mind cooks up when we are mortified, terrified, or in grief. Ghosts are holograms that—"

"Sheldon, what happened to Kate?" Penny interrupted impatiently.

"Sometimes, Penny, you can be very selfish," Sheldon replied. However, he continued: "She's at the refreshments. She offered to buy me some Red Vines and another coke; isn't she a delight?"

"I'm not talking about her action, I'm talking about her condition!" Penny hissed.

Sheldon looked at her sternly.

"You should really think about specifying your inquiries initially before starting the conversation, shouldn't you?" asked Sheldon. "Not only would that save your time and mine, your skin would thank you for it."

"What about my skin?" asked Penny off-handedly.

"From what I understand about you women and menstrual cycles, stress from an outer source allows your dermal oils to build and cause outbreaks of dermatitis, or acne, in your case—mostly on the neck, face, arms, and backside." Sheldon said.

"I don't have acne, Sheldon!" Penny hissed.

Leonard called to her from the back of the theater, and she shook her head at Sheldon then ran up the aisle. A few minutes later, Sheldon looked to his left to see that Kate had returned, looking more within her color, and holding two boxes of Red Vines, a new fountain drink of Mountain Dew, and her own refill of her Diet Coke. She sat down beside him, and handed him the boxes.

"Thank you very much," Sheldon enthused. He opened the box and took one out, nibbling it with pleasure. He offered her one, holding the box out to her but she politely declined.

"It didn't take you long," Sheldon noted. "Was the line short?"

"No. It was rather tedious," Kate stated. "But you can imagine the quick service one can receive when they are pale in color and a woman."

"Obviously the social protocol in one's situation is to service the attractive," Sheldon stated. He stopped himself short and looked at Kate with suspicion. Kate looked at him and smiled.

"I wondered how long it would be before you complimented my features," Kate stated. "However, I thought flattery was beneath you."

"It is," Sheldon remarked. "It just so happens to be one of the flaws I've obtained from living with Leonard; he's a workaday man but somehow his lesser qualities are obligated to, as we can refer to the old adage, 'rub off on me'. Somehow, I doubt it works, but then again, it's managed to release some enthusiasm from you."

Kate smirked at him.

"Now that facial expression I've seen way too many times," Sheldon pointed out. "Penny frequently has that expression, but it's mostly when she's looking at Leonard and proposing some provocative nonsense involving coitus, or more importantly, _coitus eruptus_, which I'm finding suddenly very uncomfortable talking to you about."

"Don't be," Kate replied. "After all, Sheldon, we're just friends."

"True to that," said Sheldon. "If we were anything more, I'd still be most uncomfortable talking to you about such subjects. It's almost a cockamamie idea, but not so unusual for girls to chat about it with girls and for men to, as one would say, 'kiss and tell'." He looked at Kate for a second. "You've not fallen victim to one of Penny's gibber gabber nonsense requiems, have you?"

"No. I'm somewhat taken to your dialogue than hers," said Kate smoothly.

Sheldon grinned.

"It's nice to hear a woman make sense," said Sheldon. "The women that Leonard, Howard, and Stuart associate with are vexatious, oftentimes chattering of shoes, and other non-whimsical nonsense."

Kate furrowed her eyebrows, saying, "I thought you and Amy had a thing going?"

"The 'thing' you're referring to must be a relationship, and to that question, I answer you: Yes we did, but it was brief." Sheldon said. He paused then added as a footnote: "Her inability to accept all parts of the relationship agreement was moot."

"Relationship Agreement?" asked Kate.

Sheldon looked at her for a moment as though she was completely stupid but he pardoned it. She was not a familiar with his contracts—with Leonard or Amy—and he couldn't hold it against her. Perhaps—err regardless of whatever he thought, felt, or the reality that would ensue—he and Kate would be more than friends. The idea made him feel uncomfortable the guilty pleasure was more than appealing; it was almost like eating a forbidden piece of candy.

Kate and Sheldon cease to speak as the movie continued playing. When the movie reached its full divulging aspects, Sheldon thought he would be able to be immersed in its action and vulgarity but instead, he found himself compelled to glance at Kate. Was she enjoying the movie, yes, she was. Was he enjoying it, sure, of course he was. Then what did it matter what that woman was doing beside him?

Sheldon watched her from the corner of his eye when she took a Red Vine from his box. She casually took it to her mouth, nibbling the top, then after toying the flavor, she bit it. Her cheekbones moved up and down as she ate the piece of candy, and when she gulped, Kate turned to him.

"Why are you staring at me, Sheldon?" she whispered.

"I find your mastication fascinating," Sheldon stated, not bothering to look away, despite his being discovered.

"And I'm not staring; I'm observing."

"Why are you observing?" asked Kate. "More importantly, what are you observing?"

"I'm a scientist, Kate," Sheldon stated with some arrogance, "I observe everything."

She looked the slightest self-conscious of her eating as she took another bite from the red vine but Sheldon was not mollified at all when she became red in the neck. Although this had been one of the signs he'd recovered from her small panic attack in the hallway, he felt that she was blushing, not flushing. He smiled inwardly, and turned his eyes back to the screen.

The movie was ending and the credits scrolled. The lights came on, and the audience became immersed in the after-movie conversation. It was ironic that although Sheldon had come to the theater with all the intentions of watching the movie, the deleted scenes and seconds of never-before-seen, 3-D footage, he'd not remembered any of it. Instead, he'd been occupied in watching and talking with Kate. It was odd, for he had never had such intentions.

"That was a fun movie," said Penny, walking down the aisle to meet Kate and Sheldon, who still sat. Kate was still involved in eating the rest of the Red vines, drinking her coke. Sheldon hadn't touched his Mountain Dew and only had eaten one of the candies. He looked at Penny with sudden realization that she'd spoken.

"How is it 'fun'?" inquired Sheldon. "A movie is not 'fun'. It's enjoyable, relaxing at times, and probably even a delight to become immersed, but 'fun' is not a word one would describe it. However, I did find it rather…fascinating."

"Of course he would," Leonard scoffed. He smiled at Penny. "Then again, I found the movie fascinating as well."

"Of course you did," said Howard and Raj coming up the rear. "You were boinking Penny in the back hall." Howard nudged Leonard in the side, congratulating him.

"You mean to tell me," said Kate coldly, "that after I made the couple in the front scram, that you two were doing the same hypocritical thing?"

"Well, yeah, we were doing it in the back of the theater," said Penny innocently. "That's completely different; plus, we were quiet."

Kate stood to her feet.

"That's still immoral."

"But you have to admit, it's hot," said Howard.

Sheldon stood, taking his Mountain Dew off the coaster as he did. When Kate opened her mouth to object to Howard's statement, Sheldon held up his hand to stop her.

"Don't bother, Kate. Howard and Leonard are like mating rabbits in the hot spring of May; trust me, when I was in Texas with my mother, we'd find them all over the place. Even with my father recklessly and malevolently hunting them down, one would die and five more would spring up from the ground." Sheldon stated. He turned to Kate. "In other words, it's completely useless in telling animals like Leonard and Howard that participating in coitus in a public place, such as a theater, is not only illegal in some states, but practically against the social convention. It's a paradigm of—"

"No one cares what you think, Sheldon," said Penny.

"On a contrary," said Sheldon. "I'd think most people do care what I think; most of all, Kate."

"Of course she does; she's your girlfriend."

"—I'm not his—"

"—She's not my—"

Kate and Sheldon had started their sentences both ended up saying 'girlfriend' at the end. It was kind of comical. Sheldon and Kate glance at each other; Penny stared at them with dumbfounded astonishment.

"Well, this was interesting," said Howard.

"I do believe so; the movie was intriguing, much more interesting than the original," said Sheldon.

"I wasn't talking about the movie," Howard stated. "Besides, I watched you, Sheldon. More than half the movie, you were watching Kate each Twizzlers."

"They're not Twizzlers; they're Red Vines," Sheldon corrected.

"They're the same thing!" Howard exclaimed.

"Not true!" Kate and Sheldon protested, with Kate continuing on as Sheldon was baffled that Kate was, yet again, on his defense. "Red Vines are so not the same thing as Twizzlers. They are much better, more fiber, less the calories, and they have the proper firmness but equal flexibility that makes them the tangible goodness they were made to be, which hardly equals the subject of Twizzlers. All you receive from Twizzlers is a peelable candy, and that's hardly comparable to a vine."

Kate smiled at Sheldon, who returned it. Penny stared at Sheldon and Kate.

"Wow, that's hot," Penny stated sarcastically.

"Isn't it?" Kate said softly. Sheldon gave her a look of inquiry, but had no resolution as to what the hidden meaning could be.

Author's Notes: I think this story is progressing along fairly well; please read and review, tell me what u think :D


	8. The Motel Derivation

Chapter Eight: The Motel Derivation

Sheldon and the rest of them walked out of the theater, taken to going to the arcade as they were already there. While the boys were involved in a game of Mario, Pac-man, and racing games, Penny and Kate sat at a tall table, which had both girls' legs hanging off the chairs. Kate bought Penny a bottle of beer, and she had Diet Coke.

"So, what's the gist on Sheldon and you?" Penny asked. "If Howard is correct, Sheldon's been watching you all night."

"He has," Kate said.

"Isn't that creepy?"

"Not as creepy as you and your boyfriend 'boinking' in the back of the theater," said Kate curtly.

"Still bent around that, huh?" Penny questioned, pursing her lips as Kate was doing.

"Of course. I told off a guy and his girlfriend because of it and you two do the same thing." Kate stated. "That's not exactly hypocritical of you, but I'd be hypocritical to not tell you off for the same damn thing."

"Oh please, don't tell me you're not thinking of doing the same thing to wack-a-doodle," said Penny. She took a long drink of her beer and gave her a look. Kate returned it.

"I meant no offense pertaining to your violation of the policies the theater had bought under lease, but your shot was a low blow," said Kate smoothly. She suddenly smiled. "But you're right. I wouldn't mind."

"What's your connection to him, then?" asked Penny.

"I enjoy his company. He has a beautiful mind."

"He certainly a mind; I'm not sure if it's all there."

"Why do you mock his brilliant mind when you're dating a brilliant mind as well?" asked Kate.

"Because Sheldon has a big head and Leonard is quite humble about his intellect," said Penny. She drank the last of her drink.

"So then let me guess," Kate stated. "You're befriending me on account that I am a friend of Sheldon's, who happens to be your boyfriend's roommate. By some social paradigm, you automatically assume that because you are Leonard's chick and I'm Sheldon's friend, you think we are supposed to be friends?"

"Well, at first I was, but now I think you're being a total bitch," Penny said boldly.

Kate smiled.

"You're using derogatory names to get to me, but I'm not so easily angered, Penny. In fact, I find your name for what I am quite amusing, considering you're the one that's interrogated my friendship with Sheldon. If I didn't know better, I'd think you were only a spy out to figure out what I admire in Sheldon, right?" Kate stated. "In fact, I'd go as far as saying you don't even like me. You're trying out of Leonard's sake."

Penny stared at her and handed her two dollars for the beer.

"You know what, you're right," said Penny exasperatedly. "You're totally right." She left the table and stormed out of the theater. Looking after her, Kate made a click of her tongue, and continued to drink her Diet Coke.

Leonard hurried to the table, inquiring why Penny left. Kate shrugged.

"I guess I've indirectly insulted her; I don't know why, considering I've only stated the truth," said Kate smoothly. Leonard shook his head and went after the waitress, calling out her name in exasperation.

Sheldon stepped to Kate's side.

"Am I perceiving the idea that you saw through Penny and Leonard's façade?" asked Sheldon.

"I did," said Kate. She smiled at him. "If they wanted to know about our friendship, I'd have told them flat out. Instead, they want to deceive. I hardly understand the reason why you believe them to be friends."

"They're useful," said Sheldon. "Other than that, I've wondered, too, why I surround myself in their curricular activities."

Kate sighed. "Should I go after her?"

"By social protocol, I think it would not benefit nor negate your circumstances."

Kate sighed again and she went after Penny. Sheldon watched after her. Howard and Raj flanked him on either side.

"So what's the gist about Kate?"

"Don't start," Sheldon stated, looking tired.

Howard and Raj exchanged looks but didn't start. Sheldon walked out of the theater with Raj and Howard, and they could see Kate and Penny exchanging hugs, although Kate looked awkward more than ever.

"So," said Penny. "Your car is gone…"

"So are my keys," said Kate sadly. "The damnable affair of the miniscule robber's taken me for all I have."

"The police are on them though, right?" Howard offered little consolation.

"Oh please," said Sheldon coolly, "the police are as helpful with her car as they were with my World of Warcraft account. It was Penny, remember, who helped me." He got the light bulb, 'eureka' look and turned to Penny. "Go, Penny. After the robbers who took Kate's car. Fetch."

"Okay, first off, Sheldon, I'm not a dog. Second, I'm not going after some hi-jacker; that's like not only dangerous but definitely not my job," said Penny. She looked at Kate. "No offense."

"None taken," Kate returned. "I'll just stay at a motel or something until it comes up."

"I think not," said Sheldon. "Motels are ridiculous in their key cards—not to mention the lack of hygiene in dry cleaning bed sheets. If I put a black light to the entire bedroom, I bet even Penny would be disgusted with the results."

Leonard shrugged, saying, "Kate could stay with us, I don't see why not."

"Sure," said Penny. "Or she could stay with me."

"I think not," repeated Sheldon. "Your apartment revels the mess of a…"

"Don't you say 'pig'," Penny objected.

"Pigs? I was going to say a dog. Pigs are actually very clean creatures; they're obvious mud baths can be somewhat deluding and they eat their young, but the hygiene in the animals are quite sufficient, more than I can say about your apartment." Sheldon stated in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Then she can stay at your apartment," said Penny. "I'm sure hoping it doesn't violate your roommate agreement."

"Yeah," said Leonard, smiling. "She can take my room."

"Where then will you sleep?" Kate asked. "I wouldn't want you to be kicked out of your room; that's generous of you to offer but it's abominable."

"Not exactly," Leonard replied. "I don't mind offering the room. Stay as long as you like. I can stay with Penny."

"It's not contrary to the normality; he regularly stays overnight, and yet, he returns with the same clothes on," Sheldon said. He shuddered at the thought of what took place over night.

Kate smiled.

"Well, thanks guys."

"No problem at all," said Leonard. He wrapped his arm around Penny and whispered, "Wait until she finds out how it feels to live with Sheldon; she'll be gone in a matter of hours."

Sheldon heard this but only shot him a look that said otherwise. They clambored into the car. Sheldon took the passenger seat and Kate took the seat behind him. Leonard occupied the seat behind Penny, who was at the wheel. Howard and Raj rode on Howard's scooter.


	9. Temporary Roommate Agreement Submission

Chapter Nine: The Temporary Roommate Agreement Submission

Penny and the gang arrived at the apartment within a few minutes, knowing that Penny drove quicker than most, it cut off a certain hour or two. As they clambered out of the car, Kate leaned against the back of Penny's car, and she was looking pale again. Sheldon looked at her for a moment, remembering her previous condition of her fear of enclosed spaces. The car was probably one of them.

"Are you okay?" Leonard questioned as he got out, and saw Kate leaning against the trunk, looking as though she had seen a ghost.

"I'm fine," Kate replied, smiling at his concern. "Give me a moment."

"Is this what happened at the theater?" asked Penny, looking at her. "You look like you've seen a ghost—don't even, Sheldon." Sheldon had opened his mouth to explain the nonsense of ghosts but for the sake of Kate's present condition, he ceased to continue.

Kate looked at Penny for a second.

"Let's keep going; I'll be fine as we walk." Kate said.

She walked away from the car and followed Penny and Leonard, who were holding hands, inside the apartment. Before ascending the staircase, Leonard peeped into the mail box and retrieved his mail, then Penny's, who thanked him with a generous kiss. As they lingered around the mailbox, waiting for Howard and Raj, Kate closed her eyes and was taking in deep breaths, and muttering something that Sheldon recognized as Klingon.

"What are you doing?" Penny asked, realizing Kate was chanting some weird language.

"Isn't it obvious?" Sheldon said, smiling widely. "She's talking in Klingon."

"Klingon?" said Penny, puzzled. "Oh wait, you mean that language those creepy things talk in that Star Trek movie?" She watched Sheldon and Leonard's expression become one of exhaustion, but wasn't affronted to see that Kate stopped.

"Are you feeling better?" asked Leonard.

"Somewhat," Kate replied.

"I've never heard a girl talk in Klingon," said Leonard. He smiled and had the slightest interest spark in his eyes. "Are you fluent?"

"I learned it when I was ten," Kate said. "I learn more every day."

"One day, we should play Klingon Boggle," Sheldon stated happily.

"Klingon Boggle—oh, god, I'm going home," Penny muttered, walking ahead of them to the ascending staircase.

Kate watched her and turned to Sheldon.

"Is she frequently amiss to say 'oh my god', or is it just coincidence?" asked Kate.

"Don't be silly, Kate; coincidences are merely unfortunate or happy accidents." Sheldon replied.

"In this case," said Leonard, "it's unfortunate. I'm not the one causing it."

Sheldon gave Leonard a look that read 'That's inappropriate conversation'. Still, Leonard didn't deny that he wished to be causing the implementations of the phrase exhaling from her lips, especially in a certain bedroom in a certain bed with that certain girl. Kate looked between Leonard and Sheldon; her color had come back to her face, giving her the tanned but pale look.

Sheldon watched Leonard go on without Howard and Raj, who arrived only a second later. Raj smiled at Kate with shyness and Howard was on the cell phone, apparently speaking to his wife, Bernadette. Sheldon watched the pair ascend the staircase, and Kate turned to Sheldon.

"Why is the elevator out of order?" asked Kate.

Sheldon inclined for her to walk with him up the stairs as he explained the story. It included the reason why he and Leonard were still roommates after eight years, and why the elevator no longer was in contact. Kate smiled when he mentioned how he had saved Leonard's life by placing the bubbling rocket fuel into the elevator and shoving Leonard out into the hallway. Although it had ruined the elevator and the landlord had been pissed, Leonard was in debt to Sheldon for his life and job.

Kate listened, intrigued. As Sheldon told the story, he was aware that Kate regularly made eye contact with him, listening intently to his story rather than seeming distant as Leonard or Penny became. Kate walked as he walked, the same foot, the same step; their only difference in synchronized staircase ascension was that while Sheldon spoke without need of his hands, Kate responded with gesticulation of hers. It wasn't a bad thing, as Sheldon was prone to the same habit. On the third floor, just before the floor he and Leonard lived, Kate stopped abruptly.

"What's the matter? Have you lost your ability to walk?" asked Sheldon. "In that case, I'll have to fetch Penny immediately; she has more of the brawny hands and corn-fed nature to aide in your ascension the rest of the way, not unlike plowing a field without an oxen to lead the way."

"No, I'm fine." Kate responded.

"I've realized that your response 'I'm fine' only appeals to those who cannot observe that you are not fine," said Sheldon. "In fact, I'm surprised that Penny isn't able to see it, as she is more experienced in observing facial expressions and body language."

Kate looked at him, her face momentarily dumbfounded but she appealed to her more intellectual nature, a calculating look that made Sheldon smile. She was Mrs. Cooper, Beverly Hodfstader, Amy, and Penny all joined together—all their good sides at least; Sheldon hadn't seen a part of her he despised.

"Sheldon, the fact that my car was hijacked, the police being too inept to find it, and my apartment keys lost in its contents hasn't made you aware, yet, that I may be occupying Leonard's residency a little longer than what a guest would intend," Kate surmised. She bit her lip, a reaction that Sheldon wasn't accustomed to seeing her do. It was slightly aspiring, as though the very action became titillating to his mind.

"I see you're trying to elude me to a point of epiphany or self-aware but rather than, as the adage goes, 'beat around the bush', why not skip all of that nonsense and bring me to the point of realization?" Sheldon said, crossing his arms.

"Fine," Kate replied. "I don't know how long I will be living with you. I have no time specificity."

"Well," said Sheldon with a soft tone that was unlike his own, "I have certain conditions one has to follow in order to occupy Leonard's room. In the past situations I've come across,"—Sheldon uncrossed his arms—"I've learned to draw up particular contracts, which one aids to you. We'll go over the paperwork, signatures—all of that when we get into the apartment. Meanwhile, I think we should be making our way up the stairs to the apartment, as we're talking in the middle of the staircase, which I've learned, in the middle of an on-set fire drill can be hazardous and life-threatening."

Kate smiled like she had done when Sheldon had shown overt concern when she'd had her panic attack in the theater. It was sweet, like Penny's when Penny saw that side of Sheldon that was empathetic. It was rare but when it happened, it was endearing. Kate looked at Sheldon for a moment before sighing.

"I've never had to depend on anyone before," said Kate as they continued walking up the stairs. "I've always been independent. My mother always told me that if the lord wanted to help me along, I'd deny even his assistance."

"Ah, mothers," Sheldon said with a slight disappointment. "They're influential, aren't they?"

"Not mine," Kate responded. "My mother believes that when I save a life, I'm giving God another reason to keep me alive, despite my sinful nature of cutting open sustainable life."

Sheldon looked at her with familiarity, remarking, "How uncanny; my mother believes the same; although, she'd most likely be more understanding of a medical profession than the one in which I constantly thrive; her misunderstanding of my work and the deity causes a bit of a jam between us."

"Same," Kate revered. "You'd think they'd be proud of us for having irreplaceable jobs and a valued income."

"You're preaching to the choir, sister," Sheldon said, smiling.

Kate grinned, her eyes became slits as she enjoyed his company. Sheldon was practically enthralled. Aforementioned, he'd not seen a part of Kate he didn't like. There was no denying that he and Kate were more than compatible for each other. There was a side to her that resembled the caring mother in Mrs. Cooper, but equally the monotonous tone of Beverly Hofstader; she was intriguing and intellectual as the revered neurobiologist, Amy Farrah Fowler, and aggressive in temper like Penny. Not only this, but she was something of a quirky, semi-germaphobic intellectual like him. Sheldon had no understand why Leonard would think Kate would be gone in hours.

As Sheldon and Kate arrived on the fourth floor, the door was already half-open on both sides of the hall. Sheldon momentarily went to 4B to close the door, and opened 4A for Kate to enter first. She happily thanked him and he nodded his head in her direction in a nonverbal 'you're welcome' gesture.

Kate stood adjacent to the doorway; she was analyzing the apartment, her eyes narrowing only slightly to see the lights, the couch, the gaming system, and the like. Sheldon immediately sat at his spot, while Howard, Leonard, and Raj sat on the chair, and two other cushions. Kate remained standing, smiling.

"It's beautiful," said Kate. Sheldon smiled when she found the large DNA structure; she was immediately immersed in its structure.

Sheldon knew Kate to be intelligent but in the very beginning, she had noted her disinterest with physics, but she'd claimed she was not interested for the sake of not understanding it. Still, her lack of knowledge didn't prevent her from admiring the large DNA structure, her hands touching the acrylic.

"This is interesting," said Kate. She smiled pleasantly. "Did it take long to build this?"

"Hardly," Sheldon responded.

"It's a replica," Howard said disparagingly. "Anyone can copy out of a book."

"On a contrary, it was made from memory, not copied from some man-made literature," said Sheldon, momentarily glowering at Howard for his comment.

"You made this from memory?" awed Kate.

"Don't encourage him," Raj muttered, drinking from his flask he kept in his back pocket. It didn't stop Sheldon too fast though as he stood, walking over to Kate, his hands clasped behind his back.

"Here we go," muttered Leonard.

"Yes," said Sheldon. "The exactness is portrayed from a picture I'd seen in a book five years ago. A year ago, I decided to make a replica, designing its features to look what it might seem under a microscope."

Leonard interjected from the chair: "He has a photographic memory, Kate."

"That's a misnomer," Sheldon protested, glancing at him. To Kate, he stated proudly, "I have an eidetic memory."

Kate smiled.

"Wow," she said, although to Sheldon, it sounded more like a purr.

He beamed at her as Kate's eyes flashed with admiration and attraction. Sheldon soon felt uncomfortable as she looked at him with slightly lowered eye lids and her smile became a half-smile, crooked in a way that it was mischievous. Sheldon had seen such an expression on Amy's face, and had again on Penny's in a different situation. He excused himself, asking if she wanted a beverage of any sort.

"I'd like a coke."

"Diet?" Sheldon offered.

"Yes," said Kate, smiling.

"Canned or bottled?"

"Canned."

"In a glass or mug?"

"In a glass," said Kate.

"Ice?"

"Yes, please."

Leonard and Howard glanced at Kate.

"Do you have an answer for everything?" asked Howard boldly. Kate sat on the arm of the sofa chair that Leonard occupied, and opened her mouth to speak but instead, Sheldon interrupted before she began.

"She knows what she prefers," said Sheldon smoothly. "You seldom see that in indecisive genders." He handed her the glass of iced diet coke and she thanked him. He wasn't finished though as he continued factitiously: "It brings us, however, to the inexplicable trivia that men are actually _more _indecisive than men; what I've come to understand, while observing the imploding of my parents' marriage was that while the male decides impulsively a decision, he regularly changes his mind, and when the female prefers to be a born-again Christian, she more or less permanently keeps her status."

"So who enjoyed the movie?" Leonard said, raising his hand. "I thought it was great."

"I did too!" Raj enthused. "I liked the girl; she was perfect."

"Yeah," said Howard.

"Yeah," breathed Leonard.

"Yeah," said Raj, smiling.

Kate glanced at Sheldon, who was quiet. Sheldon had not agreed for the fact that Kate was here. He found it against social protocol to anoint his opinions of other attractive women while is not-girlfriend was in the room. It was not only against social convention, but he felt uncomfortable doing so. The boys didn't think twice about it, as Sheldon hardly participated in conversations advocating sexual prowess of a young woman, or any conversation diverting from science fiction, science, or theories.

Sheldon looked at Leonard.

"Would it be more or less awkward for you to exit the room while I show Kate your room, as you've stated you'd be spending more time with Penny as Kate occupies your residency, temporarily?" Sheldon stated with a straightforward tone.

"Nah, it's fine," Leonard returned, smiling. He looked up at Kate, as she was still sitting on the edge of the armchair. "Have a blast."

"Thank you again," Kate said, looking at him. "I can't thank you enough."

"Don't gush, Kate; Leonard frequently offers his bed to girls; it's a wonder why he's even here as Penny is currently occupying her living room with a closed door." Howard said pointedly.

Leonard's eyes widened and he ran eagerly out of the room to the other side of the hall. Sheldon heard the door open then close. Kate then occupied his seat. Sheldon stood, placed his glass on the coaster before him on the coffee table then walked to his desk, which from one of the drawers he withdrew a formally drawn document. He placed it on the coffee table in front of Kate, who was intrigued by the formality.

"This is a document which notes that you will be a temporary guest and I am free of all obligations and legality in what happens to Leonard's room," Sheldon informed. He entered 'Leonard's bedroom' into the first blank and printed her name in the second blank; he signed the bottom line which was denoted by an 'x' beside _Roommate Co-Signer_; he then handed the pen to Kate, who took it.

When she did, Sheldon felt her fingers against his and the familiar electric shock that was sent through his fingertips to his arms was numbing and fascinating. He felt a bit dazed but he shook it off, and sat back in his spot on the far left of the couch. He watched her sign messily, how like a doctor.

Kate handed him the document.

"We're still not finished," Sheldon informed.

"I would think not," Kate said. "From what I understand, you're a very thorough man."

Howard and Raj snickered at this.

Sheldon stood once more and brought out from the same drawer of his desk a large envelope which included a thick stack of papers, which according to Sheldon, relieved him of any legal duties that corresponded with being a resident in Leonard's bedroom.

"This is all for being a guest?" asked Kate, her eyes wide with surprise.

"No," said Sheldon as though this was obvious. "This is only for being a guest in Leonard's bedroom; we've yet to go over the procedures, clauses, sub-clauses, text, subtexts of being part of the Roommate Agreement, which I'll have to draw up another in your case as the one I've signed with Leonard is temporarily withdrawn."

Howard leaned forward past Sheldon and said to Kate, "This is a good opportunity to run; you haven't signed your sanity away, just yet!"

Kate shook her head as though he was making a joke. Sheldon glanced at Howard with annoyance but continued on. He opened the envelope, bending over the papers to analyze its contents.

"This," he said, withdrawing a thin sheet from the stack, "is the most complicated form but as you're a doctor, such complications are not as numerous, especially where legality is concerned."

"That's for sure," Kate commented.

Sheldon handed her the paper and she signed it. The rest of the stack was inferring that her stay at the apartment was a privilege, not a right. Kate understood that he was being generous and letting her stay, so as to keep her from staying at a dirty motel, where a possible man by the name of Norman Bates dressed as his mother had the possibility of murdering her in the back with a knife in the shower.

"This," said Sheldon, withdrawing a specific sheet, "is the formal Roommate Agreement; it's the cover sheet of the actual copy but until I can draw one up, this will due. It's merely stating that you are and soon will be my roommate and therefore, you have the same obligations as the previous resident, AKA Leonard Hofstader."

While Howard and Raj watched Sheldon and Kate discuss the famous Roommate Agreement, the two were shocked that Kate was easily signing papers, never questioning. Sheldon excused himself to his desk and began typing up another Roommate Agreement; Kate looked at Howard.

"I've never seen so much sophistication of a system," said Kate, her face lit up with amazement.

"Are you fricking kidding me?" said Howard. "He's insane!"

"I think otherwise. Such organization is very elegant," said Kate.

"I'm glad you feel that way; our compatible understanding of each other is the only thing that will hold this monotonous relationship together," Sheldon voiced from his computer.

"Damn his Vulcan hearing," hissed Raj.

Kate looked at Sheldon. He was typing vigorously on his computer, his fingers sliding over the keys as though they were a part of him. Kate was intrigued, and her smile was the attractive half-smile that Howard had seen on Bernie and Raj had recognized in several women. It was no doubt to them how attracted Kate was to Sheldon, perhaps mentally and physically. Their only doubt was whether Sheldon felt the same way towards Kate, and they hardly believed that.

Kate stood from the chair and walked over to the kitchen. Sheldon was not distracted as she put her cup in the sink, but when he heard the running water, he glanced discreetly over his shoulder. From her pocket she withdrew latex gloves and put them on as fast as she probably was accustomed to doing the ER. She began washing dishes that Leonard had left out for Sheldon to inevitably clean.

As she did so, Howard and Raj stared at her. Sheldon returned his attention to the screen of his computer but a smile managed on his lips, and he was more than drawn to her.

Kate finished washing the dishes and stacking them from plate to bowl; she returned to the living room, taking off her gloves and disposing them in the trash canister beside the refrigerator.

Sheldon clicked the enter button and the printer began spitting out documents. He stacked them neatly and then returned once more to the living room, where Kate sat in the chair. Sheldon glanced at her furtively and then away from her when she crossed her legs, revealing their smoothness and shape. He never felt attracted to a woman, and he denied the feeling in his lowest part of his abdomen that seemed to kick. He cleared his throat and placed the document before her, in a way that she could read it.

"This is the Roommate Agreement, official as it is non-negotiable. It specifies that never in this apartment will we watch Babylon 5," Sheldon said, referring to the subtext. "Also, and this is the utmost importance, we have a designated night for Chinese, Thai, and Pizza. My morning schedule is also in the roommate agreement so as to have no further inquiries of my daily routine."

He smiled momentarily and said with a half-joking tone, "Since you are female, I've given you more leniency; your time in the bathroom is extended fifteen minutes due to periodic menses—the redundant pun was not intended—and the emergency clause where if a roommate is showering and the other is experiencing urgency that the occupant take no longer than five minutes."

Kate looked at Sheldon.

"Was this new?" asked Kate.

"I had a debate with Leonard when he and his subtropical girlfriend at that time were in the shower together and I was experiencing urgency as stated in the clause; I had to run over to Penny's apartment to relieve myself," Sheldon said. "It's fairly newly amended but I hope we don't run into that problem." He stopped for a moment, gave a breathy laugh and said, "Ironic word play."

Kate smiled sweetly at him. Howard and Raj glanced at each other.

Sheldon handed her a separate packet.

"This is a copy of my daily routine, including my bathroom schedule and my morning meal. I take it very seriously," Sheldon stated.

"I would too," said Kate.

"Lastly, but not least important, but happening to be chronologically last, you will be my source of transportation."

"You don't drive?" asked Kate curiously.

"I can; I choose not to," replied Sheldon.

"Alright," said Kate.

"Because you are my transportation, I will need to be driven to the comic book store, work, back home, restaurants, and anything else that comes to mind. I've included in the Agreement that you are a medical doctor and by priority, you are regularly—or should I say, irregularly—paged throughout the day to accommodate the needs of dying patients." He handed her a document that seemed to be made just for her. "In the case that you are at the hospital and I am in need of transportation, I've forced Leonard's hand to sign the agreement that if you are in mid-surgery, he shall be my transportation, that way you are never obligated, under that circumstance, to leave your work, and assist me."

Sheldon stopped her before she signed it.

"Unless that's the case, and I only drew it up for your case, you're obligated to drive me. Are we clear?" He asked seriously.

"Crystal," Kate said, giving him a bright smile.

Sheldon turned to Howard.

"See, I don't see why Leonard had to argue all these points!" Sheldon replied. "A woman is able to accept my terms and conditions; why can't you all?"

Howard opened his mouth to retort but he couldn't substantiate a phrase to express his opinion. Kate looked at him then to Sheldon, smiled, and then signed the agreement.

Sheldon beamed.

"Congratulations, Dr. Kate Burns, you are now an official Temporary Roommate. Here is our flag, never wave it upside down unless the apartment is under distress," Sheldon said, handing her the yellow lion on blue azure. "And here is your lapel pin."

"It's okay to wear it," said Raj. "I did. Leonard was too good to wear it."

Kate looked at him and then pinned to the neck of her red Flash T-shirt.

"Now, I'll show you the rest of the apartment," said Sheldon. He stood and she did as well.

As they went into the bathroom and Sheldon explained the hygienic procedures and the like, Howard and Raj glanced at each other.

"It's weird how all that just happened," said Raj.

"I know; she didn't even make a fuss," Howard whispered.

"I know," said Raj. He paused. "Do you think she's blind to his arrogance and obnoxious behavior?"

"I doubt it," Howard replied. He glanced at the way Kate and Sheldon had left and turned to his friend. "If I had to guess, I'd think Kate thinks it's cute."

"That's insane."

"I know," agreed Howard. "She might just stay in a room with him when the two get shipped off to a loony bin."

"Hee hee, a loony bin," Raj giggled. "That reminds me of Looney Tunes."

Howard glanced at him and shook his head.


	10. That Awkward Moment When

Chapter Ten: That Awkward Moment When…

**Author's Note**: I hope I'm not dropping a bomb on my lovely readers when I say that I'm going to put the perspective in Kate's situation now that we had a few chapters with Sheldon's. We'll see how it settles. Hope you all enjoy it, and please review, my lovelies

Kate had settled into the apartment quite nicely, although she hadn't expected the extensive and quite technical Roommate Agreement that Sheldon had appraised before granting her temporary residence to his home. Although she had been quite satisfied with dealing with whatever he sent her way, she was halfway sure she could get through the Roommate Agreement. Everything he had written was so sophisticated, elegant…and strict.

She'd known he would be quite strict to his daily routine but never was she prepared for what had been thrown at her, although she accepted it with grace and sensibility. Naturally, she could deal with whatever movies Sheldon preferred to watch—or not watch, where Babylon 5 was concerned. She agreed that if she were to have coitus with a man ("Or woman, depending on your sexual orientation", Sheldon had offered, although he seemed to hope not), she'd notify him via email and within 72 hours. Kate had also agreed to the subclause that if she were to be offered a trip to see the Hardon Collider in Geneva, Switzerland, that she'd take him—the odds of this were slim, but if vice versa, she was allowed to be his first priority to company him.

Kate had the impression when meeting Sheldon that he was unique in his own way. This came to be more ways than one. She agreed with his hygiene rules—cleaning feet in separate buckets, labeled her name, before entering the shower, for example—and to the bedroom clause—'No one enters the other's bedroom unless onset or impending danger presents itself, or a cataclysm of zombies have approached and one must barricade themselves inside'. Sheldon offered the subclause that Kate could enter his bedroom if provided permission or if there was a new comic book out that was announced late on the television, and if that was the case, to not even knock.

Without really knowing what she had gotten herself into, Kate had gone into this situation with a certain easement that Penny nor Leonard really understand, nor Howard or Raj. Sheldon didn't notice anything pertaining to human affliction; but how was that new?

Kate's first night in her temporary home proved to be quite unstable, as she was not used to living with another person—needless to say, a man. She had no roommate besides the small hamster she once cared for but even Puffy Cheeks had become quite catty. Kate was unaware as of what to expect that first night.

It started the same evening that the group had come home from the movie, 'The Fifth Element'. It was Sheldon and Kate's first meeting, and it was an instant friendship. Kate had been robbed of her car, and her keys as well to her apartment. It made her feel grateful that she had nothing important in her home except a few medical journals she'd kept for the memoirs to be published in further future when she'd accepted her Nobel Prize that evening. She'd gotten the Prize, but she doubted the journals still remained.

Kate and them had come to Sheldon and Leonard's apartment after Leonard opted to be with Penny while Kate could have his room until her car and keys were returned to her. Kate had only agreed when Sheldon did, so as to not put him on the spot.

To her surprise, Sheldon had agreed to it. When they'd come him, Sheldon provided her the new Roommate Agreement (redone as she needed one instead of Leonard, for liability and legality sake). After a show of the bedroom and bathroom, the kitchen's organization, and the videogames that presently occupied the vintage/fantasy/Mario shelves, Kate was comfortable so far. What made her uncomfortable was when she was sitting on the cushion beside Sheldon and since Howard and Raj had gone to Howard's for a sleep over, it meant Kate and Sheldon were alone (Leonard had already gone to Penny's for the exceptionally warm and comfortable night that was anticipated for him).

Kate watched the episode of _Batman: The Animated Series_. It was one of the late episodes on television but most interesting.

Kate wore the same clothes she'd worn when they met, a red Flash t-shirt with the flash emblem on the front, and little lightning bolts along the hem of her shirt. She'd worn her blue jeans and white tennis shoes with it—the Flash shirt had been unplanned but she'd see Sheldon's reaction when she had taken off her jacket in the theater; he liked Flash.

She took down her hair from the ponytail and the platinum blonde wave of curtains fell to her shoulders. Sheldon remained fixed on the television, giving Kate a breather that she didn't have to be gawked at for the simple casual motion.

"You know what I don't understand," said Kate softly.

Sheldon paused the DVD, and glanced at her, listening.

"Why does no one realize that Batman is Bruce Wayne; obviously, he's the one, because he is the unlikeliest candidate to be a hero," said Kate.

Sheldon smiled.

"If everyone realized that Batman was Bruce Wayne, or vice versa, all the villains would consummate an ambush, find the Wayne Manor, and kill Bruce Wayne, thus ending a lifetime excitement for those who appreciate the comic books, action figures, collectibles, movies, and TV series." Sheldon said. He was about to continue the episode before he looked at Kate again and said, "Dramatic irony, where we know Batman to be Bruce Wayne and the characters in the show do not, also adds the suspense of an arch-enemy, such as the Joker, for instance, could unveil the caped crusader. It's one exciting ride."

Kate looked at him in return.

"But say I'm the Joker…"

"You can't be the Joker; you're a woman," said Sheldon.

"Fine then; I'm Harley Quinn, hypothetically, of course."

"Of course," Sheldon responded in agreement.

"I'm Harley Quinn and one day, I hear Bruce and Alfred talking about Batman—they're using sign language, and I know," Kate said, placing a finger on the cushion and tapping it, "For a _fact_ that Bruce Wayne is Batman, what would happen if I told everyone in Gotham that he was?"

"If you were Harley Quinn hypothetically," said Sheldon, "I'd be the hypothetical crowd in Gotham City and say you were crazy."

"Medically or figuratively?"

"Both," said Sheldon. "Not only that, but I'd also say you're slandering a rich man like Bruce Wayne and I'd advise the rest of Gothamites to put you to death, ensuring that no longer will you slander Bruce Wayne's character, but also disable your continuance in aiding the Joker with his violent schemes."

"That sounds a little harsh," Kate returned.

"It would be," Sheldon said. He returned to the television and continued the series.

Kate observed his intense concentration to the series. While it was true that she was mentally attracted to him, her physical attraction was perhaps equal to or greater than the former. She'd found his height appealing, that she could imagine her arms around his waist and she'd have to stand on her toes to kiss his lips. He was also thin, an attractive slimness, yes, indeed. His hands were rather large and his fingers were long and slender; Kate didn't think herself of a woman with a hand fetish but it did have its benefits. And he had a beautiful mind, oh, so beautiful.

Even then however, Kate knew that with Sheldon it would take more than just a Flash shirt and knowledge of the more important things in the universe to make him more physically attracted to her.

Kate frowned a little. Although she admired his intellectuality and his ability to ignore the baser urges, she was a little discouraged that her femininity could not attract him as quickly as her breasts and legs could attract other men.

She crossed her right leg over the other along the knee, and her thoughts became more lucid with scenarios of how she could attract Sheldon Cooper to her, more in literal terms than emotional or mental.

When the episode had ended, Sheldon turned his body to her and stated, "It's nine o'clock, I'm going to bed. Good night to you, Kate."

"And to you, Sheldon."

He smiled and stood, but looked down at her.

"Are you staying up?" he asked.

"I think so," Kate returned.

"You think?" Sheldon responded, his eyes widening while she made her decision more closely.

"I am," she clarified.

"All right, then, well I'll give you a few terms to abide by while I enjoy my anticipated REM sleep. First of all, and possibly the most important, is that I'm a light sleeper and I have the hearing of a Vulcan, so if you wish to watch more of the Batman series, please do so but keep the volume at a subtle range. Second," said Sheldon, he pointed to the kitchen, "if you desire a midnight snack, I appraise you to have a bowl of the Bran Flakes on the refrigerator to your right. A healthy supplementation of fiber is a healthy adult." Sheldon made a small bow of his head to her and was halfway down the hall before he came on back.

"Oh, and I almost forgot," said Sheldon. "I go to work the next morning per the Roommate Agreement, you must showered, dressed, and ready to go by eight in the morning as I need to be at the office by nine."

"Sure," said Kate, smiling at him.

"Alrighty, I'm going to bed. Good night," he said.

"Good night."

Kate watched him turn on his heel and go into his bedroom. She turned to the television, which stared back at her. The night was weird to her; she many times had friends over for company but they'd all attended in talk and praise of each other's lives. She'd merely spent two hours in front of a television, watching 4 episodes of a Batman cartoon and the only words exchanged between she and Sheldon was the pending occurrence when Bruce Wayne was discovered to be Batman. Although Kate didn't mind; the conversation was stimulating.

A thought came to her when she thought about tomorrow.

_I need to get into my apartment and get my clothes…_

Author's Note: (2) Hope that was okay. Review please and tell me what you think of Kate. Is it giving her more depth? I may end up doing a few chapters with Kate's perspective, then the next few chapters with Sheldon—I don't know yet; I'm making it up as I go


	11. The Comic Book Deception

Chapter eleven: Comic Book Deception

**Author's Note: **Sorry for the short chapter, everyone, this will make for it

Kate was up that night, staring at the television. Instead of sitting on the couch as she had been before when Sheldon had gone to bed at exactly nine, she was now on the floor, on her knees in front of the shelf of video games. She was somewhat impressed; Sheldon had categorized the games into a division of fantasy/Magic, Science Fiction, and Arcade—and made subdivisions of Most Played and Played Rarely. The games were labeled as such with small tags underneath the aforementioned video games. Kate read some of the titles aloud. One of them she liked had to be Mario, the Original.

She stood from them, not wishing to play the games unless Sheldon was with her. She had that morbid courtesy wherein she felt she had to have a chaperone when playing or dealing with something that was something of theirs for the first time. Should a videogame break or tear—Kate didn't want to see that happen, especially if she had no witnesses.

Kate walked into the kitchen which was part of the living room. She saw the Batman cookie jar, and liked it from then on. Looking into it, she found chocolate chip, peanut butter cookies. It was interesting how she thought there might've been some Batman shaped cookies but she would have perceived that too be overly obsessed…that's something she'd have devised.

Taking a few into her hands, she ate them then washed her hands in the sink. Afterwards, she dried her hands with the offered paper napkin and after drying each hand, she placed them into the canister provided to the left of the refrigerator. Everything was so…spotless.

Kate decided that there was nothing to do as far as entertaining herself. She needed to sleep and although she knew sleep would elude her tonight, as she was still strained from being carjacked, and also robbed of her keys to her own home, Kate knew, for a fact, her sleep would be robbed as well.

"If you never try, you never fly," Kate muttered, remembering what her mother regularly told her when she felt discouraged and lacking determination. Of course, she'd never fly, but the metaphorical action of success was duly noted. Therefore, Kate sighed deeply, and went into the bathroom for her pastime relief, then after relieving her bladder, she went down the hall, turned a right, and further down to Leonard's bedroom…or rather, her bedroom.

Kate entered but the idea of home was also robbed. She glanced at the unmade blue comforter, but was relieved to see that a note had been scribbled on the comforter, which more than likely was from her current—but still temporary—roommate.

Kate took the paper in her hands and read the letter aloud.

'_Kate, _

_If you are like me, which I doubt still today, you may be frightened of the images that occur to your mind as to whom has slept in these sheets and what actions might have occurred through Leonard's use of them. Between you and me, I would advise you to remove these comforters and bed sheets from the bed you will be sleeping in—preferably with latex gloves provided in the bathroom—and remake the bed with the extra sheets and blankets we keep in the hall closet—in any case we need extra supplies from an on-coming cataclysmic event._

_Tomorrow afternoon is my scheduled laundry day; there, we can wash and dry Leonard's bed sheets and comforter if you wish to reuse them. Personally, I'd purchase new linen but that is only my suggestion. _

_Don't forget to be showered and dressed by tomorrow at eight (also, be out of the bathroom by forementioned time as it is, need I remind you, my scheduled bathroom time. Please be courteous of my needs and I've been courteous to yours, and be aware of that. _

_Have a good night's worth of REM sleep, _

_Dr. Sheldon Cooper.'_

To this, Kate smiled; to Leonard's messy bed was Kate's aversion. She thought Penny was beautiful and although she hoped that Penny and Leonard were in love and all that crap, she felt that it didn't provide her a better feeling that Leonard didn't take precautions in keeping his bed clean of sweat while penetrating the beautiful woman that was Penny. Kate rolled the bed sheets up, thinking it was a little useless in using latex gloves. She placed them in the corner of the room and took out the comforter and bed sheets from the hall closet, quietly walking throughout the hall.

Kate then redressed the bed to her satisfaction. She closed the door and undressed to her underwear, throwing her clothes into a small hamper that was provided by Sheldon in the corner of the room, opposite the dirty linen in the other corner. Kate realized she had no other clothes but the ones she'd already discarded. She frowned…but that didn't stop her.

She opened Leonard's closet and took out a large shirt of his, plaid in blue and black. It fit her somewhat, enough that she could feel comfortable in it. Kate sighed, knowing she'd have to get up extra early to head into the store, pick out an extra pair of scrubs and an outfit to wear after work. It was going to cut into her budget but at least she had a place to stay. Still, it was just another thing to think about and one other thing to prevent her 'good night's worth of REM sleep'.

She hopped into the bed and closed her eyes, turning off the light when she did. It was dark. Really dark…good. She needed dark.

There was a sound in the room, however. Not in the room…no, it was outside the room. She heard it, the sound, footsteps? Kate opened her eyes, wide. She stood. Sheldon? Leonard? Oh god, let it be Penny, at least. She'd have to explain her shirt but it would be more than obvious when her clothes were seen in the hamper, surely.

Kate stood warily. She hoped it was one of three, but what if it was someone else? Crap.

She made her way to the door.

_Be careful, Kate. Be careful. If it's someone—anyone but Sheldon, Leonard, or Penny—you hit them with all your strength. Hit them where it hurts—the nuts…shit, hit them where it hurts, man or woman. What if it's a dog? _

Kate could have smacked her mentality if she could do so literally. Kate heard the footsteps again and she summoned her anger—the robber that took her car and whatnot—and she found her hatred. She swung open the door and went kicking.

Hearing the howls of someone that was no thick, big armed man of a robber but also not the cries of Sheldon Cooper or a woman named Penny, Kate was uncertain when the figure landed hands over lower anatomy first. The howls awoke her roommate, and apparently alerted Penny and Leonard as the three hurried into the hallway. Kate was in the doorway of the bedroom, looking as surprised and alarmed as they did.

Sheldon had arrived in his blue plaid pajamas, having not even taken time to put on his robe. He flipped on the light of the hallway; Leonard and Penny stood in the hallway, alarmed. Leonard wore his glasses and pants but no shirt; Penny was in a pair of skimpy blue and pink shorts with a revealing tank top. Although, Kate could not speak; she wore Leonard's long sleeve blue shirt, which only managed to cover the rest of her body. Her hair was tangled around her shoulders and face as she'd become entangled with her attacker, or her believed attacker.

Now looking at the painful moaning Howard Wolowitz, Kate was infuriated.

"WHAT THE HELL?" Kate snapped angrily.

"Howard," said Leonard tiredly, as he realized the man on the ground wasn't terrifying, or the least bit threatening. "What the hell are you doing here?"

"I didn't want to disturb you, Leonard," groaned Howard, cupping his privates, "so I thought I'd come over here and get your comic book."

"Why are you getting a stupid comic book?" asked Penny, putting her hands on her hips.

"It's not stupid," said Howard. He muttered that it was some class edition although Kate wasn't thinking it was so important now.

"Actually," said Leonard looking at Penny in a matter-of-fact way, "He's right. It's actually an interesting, action-packed comic where Spiderman reveals his identity to Mary Jane and…"

"Okay, forget the comic book!" Penny replied, looking irritated. She looked at Kate. "What did he do?"

"Nothing," Kate said.

"So you woke me up for nothing?" Sheldon pointed out, crossing his arms.

"No," said Kate slowly, her agitation coming back, "I hit him before he could do something." She crossed her arms angrily. "For god's sake, I thought he was some wacko-job robber—the same one that got my car and keys to the apartment; I thought maybe that wasn't good enough that he wanted my life as well!"

Howard looked up at Kate, his pain wearing off apparently.

"Why are you in Leonard's shirt and not wearing pants?" asked Howard.

Kate glared at him.

"I have no night clothes," said Kate coldly. "If you keep looking at my legs, I'll keep you on the ground."

"Sounds dirty," Howard said in a sultry tone.

Kate reared back her right leg as a threat and Howard got to his feet so fast it would humiliate Flash's speed and agility. He stood beside Leonard, hoping that would keep that angry half-naked woman at bay.

"Look, I'm sorry," Howard apologized quickly. "I didn't know you were staying over here."

"You saw me sign the Roommate Agreement!" Kate snapped.

Sheldon glanced at Kate then to Howard.

"I'm getting the impression that Howard came over, not for a comic, but to get a good look at Kate while she was vulnerable…" began Sheldon but Howard hushed him with a 'shh!' Sheldon looked affronted but was about to go on before Penny stopped him with a wave of her hand.

"Yeah, we know, Mr. Obvious," said Penny quickly. She glared at Howard. "Are you some kind of creepy stalker, Howard? Kate isn't some eye candy!"

"You're one to talk; Leonard ogles you wherever and whenever you can and you have no qualms about that," Howard pointed out.

"That's..that's—apples and oranges, Howard," Penny said, weighing her hands up and down oppositely to pose a point. She shook her head and continued, "Anyway, you scared Kate to death. You deserved to be hit in the nuts."

Leonard turned to Penny, apparently believing otherwise.

"_No one _deserves to be hit there, Penny; it hinders one paralysis for an immeasurable time and not to mention that it hurts like a bitch," Leonard stated.

Sheldon glanced at him, marking his cursing but he looked at Kate.

"Would you like some tea?" he asked.

"Some what?" asked Kate, taken aback; her anger had momentarily disappeared.

Sheldon spoke as he passed Howard in the hallway and stood to her side: "In my experience and from my understanding, it's the social convention to offer someone in distress or bereavement a hot beverage, in which this case more than sufficiently suggests."

"I'm not bereft, Sheldon," said Kate coolly. She glowered at Howard and said, "I'm pissed."

Howard cleared his throat and said to her, "I'm sorry, Kate. And to Sheldon's explanation, no, I wasn't coming in to look at you naked. I'm married to a beautiful woman by the name of Bernadette, and I only want to see her naked." He smiled shortly after. "I really did come for the comic. I forgot you were here instead of Leonard."

Penny nudged Leonard playfully and laughed, "Yeah, it could have been you trying to hit a robber."

"I'd have nailed Howard like Kate did," Leonard said indifferently. "She just got lucky and it was Howard."

"I wasn't robbing," Howard interjected. He looked at Leonard. "So can I borrow your comic?"

"Why do you even need it?" asked Leonard.

"Raj wants to read it."

"You could not have asked about it while you were still here?" Sheldon questioned.

"He didn't think about it until we left," Howard posed.

"A likely summation," Sheldon returned, sounding much like a lawyer. He crossed his arms. "Well, this has been a complete waste of time and deception; I'm going to sleep before I have to listen to another meaningless bout of unnecessary chitter chatter." He looked at Kate. "Did you get my letter, by any chance?"

"Yes, I did. Thank you, Sheldon." Kate said, smiling.

"You're welcome." He said. He turned to Leonard. "Kate has to borrow your car in order to drive me to work."

"That's fine; I'll go with Penny to work," said Leonard, nodding to Kate. "You're more than welcome to drive it."

"Is there gas in it?" asked Kate.

"Yeah," said Leonard.

"Okay. I have to go early in the morning," said Kate. She looked at Sheldon. "I'll be back by eight."

"Why do you need to leave the apartment in the morning only to come back and leave again when we go to work?" asked Sheldon curiously.

"I don't have any scrubs; I left them in the apartment," explained Kate. "This, and I don't have any clothes either."

"Understandable," Sheldon returned. "You've given me enough time and notable reason; I'll see you in the morning then, and not a minute later, all right?"

"Sure," Kate replied. When Sheldon continued looking at her, she sighed and said, "Okay, Sheldon."

"Thank you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to get my REM sleep." He glanced at his watch and said resentfully, "What's left of it, anyway."

He went into his bedroom and closed the door. Kate turned to Howard.

"Well?" she said.

"Well, what?" asked Howard.

"Aren't you getting the comic? That way we don't repeat tonight's event for the second time?" asked Kate.

"Oh right; Sorry bout that," said Howard. He sped past her and retrieved the comic. He then exited, apologized to Kate and thanked Leonard again, and ran out of the living room and out of the door. Leonard turned to Kate.

"That would explain why you're wearing my shirt," said Leonard, smiling.

"It explains a lot of what I'm doing without pants," Kate replied, smiling as well.

Penny walked to her and said, "I have some extra pajamas in my apartment if you want to borrow them, rather than wearing Leonard's shirt. I know how comfy they are though." She winked at her.

"Sure thing," said Kate. "Thanks."

Kate made a quick trip to Penny's apartment, which gave her small chills. Unlike Sheldon's apartment, Penny seemed to be the polar opposite of him. Her home was messy, disorganized, but it did have that colorful vibrancy that made Penny so likeable in character and appearance.

Penny handed her two pairs of shorts and tops that were colorful as well. She also gave her a welcoming gift basket of assorted bath lotions, bath salts, soaps, and shampoos.

"What is this for?" asked Kate.

"Welcoming gift."

"Did you plan this?"

"No, Kate." She gave a small chuckle and said, "We had a Christmas one year and Sheldon gave more than ten of these and I have enough to last me for years."

"Well, thanks," said Kate, smiling widely.

"You're welcome. And if you need anything, come to me. We, girls, have to stick together," Penny said, offering her a shoulder hug. Kate accepted it awkwardly, but hugged her back when Penny grinned broadly at her.

"Okay," said Leonard slowly, "I'm going to bed. Penny…you uh going to join me?"

"In a moment, Sweetie." She smiled at Leonard and he smiled back. Kate recognized the smile; the two of them were very much in love with each other, or at least had strong feelings for each other. Kate thanked Penny again and she came into Leonard's room, dressing into the new pajamas and then putting on some vanilla lotion. She felt a little more at home, even if she did miss hers as well.


	12. The Daisy Discount

Chapter Twelve: The Daisy Discount

Kate had figured just as much. She was sleeping for thirty minutes and woke up. She knew she'd been asleep for said time; her alarm—or rather Leonard's—read 11:30. Now it was midnight and she was completely awake. Her small nap was the smallest mercy; she felt irritated, cranky—all kinds of frustration.

She crawled out of the covers and headed into the kitchen, feeling most tired but lacking the proper drowsiness required for a good night's sleep. Her irritation increased when she thought of Howard's excuse for sneaking in the middle of the night in the apartment, and she had only thought of how she was able to defend herself properly. She'd burst open the door and come out flailing arms, feet, and screaming her head off. The light came on and the body of Howard Wolowitz was barely moving but his voice had been certainly groaning amounts of pain. Perhaps he had low pain tolerance, or Kate was a definite fighter.

Kate wondered what would've happened if Sheldon had been the only one to hear. What would he have done if the engineer _had _been a robber, or a rapist—or a murderer…or all three? Kate didn't know him well enough to know anything. She had seen a light saber in Leonard's room, in the corner; perhaps she could have used that to hit Wolowitz, even after she found out it was him. He may have not deserved a good few kicks in the balls but he did deserve something for sneaking around in an apartment temporarily residing a woman who'd been robbed of all she needed to get to work and sleep soundly in the night. Kate didn't even have her clothes.

_Ah, shit, right…_

Until now, Kate had forgotten. She needed scrubs. Well…it was early in the morning, and she couldn't sleep. That was for sure.

She didn't want to wear Leonard's garb; no doubt, although they were the same size in pants and jeans, the shirts he wore fit her as well as Penny's underwear would fit Mr. Sweatypants. Nope, she'd borrow Penny's outfit that looked most like clothes instead of Pajamas. Kate dressed quickly, didn't bother showering as she felt she could take one in the hospital locker room.

Kate took Leonard's keys in the bowl and walked out of the apartment, taking care to jot down a note on the door should something happen to her on the way to the store, or if Sheldon happened to awake earlier than he intended. It was common courtesy, and Kate knew several things in courtesy; her mom was strict on that, yes, ma'am, she was.

She went to the 24-hour consignment shop across the street, and the business woman acclaimed her presence, considering it was after all midnight.

"I've never seen someone come out of the bed as early as you have," she said; her accent was Californian, a local. She smiled at the young woman.

"I can come back at a later time," Kate said.

"Oh, don't worry; I'm here all day," said the business clerk; her nametag read 'Daisy'.

"Good. I'm looking…well, I'm looking for several things," said Kate. She felt a little embarrassed; she was at a Good Will store for clothes because some wackjob stole her car while she was seeing a sci-fi movie with someone she'd met online. How crazy of a store was that?

"Anything in particular?" asked Daisy. She was fifty years old, relaxed blue eyes, and had a smile that was rather drawn, rather than planted. She was happy with her job.

"Yes, I need five pairs of scrubs, three pairs of jeans, shirts, and a pair of pajamas," said Kate flatly.

Daisy found this peculiar but respected Kate's privacy by not asking. Kate offered her an explanation though, feeling very much embarrassed and needing to explain herself. When she'd started with being carjacked, the woman seemed to understand completely.

"I thought it was rather odd for someone as pretty as you to wear shorts and a T-shirt to this place, asking for that many items," said Daisy. She touched Kate's shoulder. "Don't worry, hon; that kind of thing happens only to the best of us."

She went around the counter and guided Kate to the scrub section, then to the jeans, shirts, and shoes, then the last pajama section of the store.

"Luckily, for you and what most people don't know, all clothing items are off fifty percent when customers arrive between eleven at night and two in the morning." Daisy said. "It's to up the ante on customer numbers."

"So why not tell anyone?" asked Kate.

Daisy laughed, stating, "Because I took the night hours for a reason, to help individual customers. It's my passion."

"I see."

"What is yours?" asked Daisy.

"Sorry?"

"What's your passion?" asked Daisy. She noted the scrubs. "Evidently, you must work for some medical facility. I'm too rude to ask your salary but from my understanding, I think you'd be some kind of doctor or nurse, right?"

Kate nodded.

"I'm a surgeon," said Kate, "but I'm also a doctor. How did you know?"

"People talk in a way that reflects their education," said Daisy. "I, myself, am a former nurse; do you work out here at Pasadena General?"

"Yeah," said Kate.

"It's a great place to work; I loved it there."

Kate nodded. She didn't ask the woman why she'd quit. It wasn't her business or place to ask, but instead, Daisy offered such information freely.

"I'd grown tired of such irregularity; I needed a more concise routine. Routine is everything to me," said Daisy. She smiled. "You'd be amazed at how people can completely lose control when their routine is interrupted."

Kate thought of Sheldon.

"I don't think I could be amazed," said Kate. "But other people could, I'm sure. Are scrubs part of that deduction you mentioned? They're clothes, but they're different than clothes."

"They're quite comfortable, aren't they," chuckled Daisy. "I wear the old pairs to bed now. But yes, to answer your question, they are the same deduction; half off."

"Thank you," Kate replied. "You've been very helpful."

"I'm always here to help." Daisy returned. She grinned briefly, shook Kate's hand, and returned to the customer desk.

Kate went to shopping. She had a budget but in this case, it was moot. She needed clothes, more than two or three pairs. So Kate bought a week's worth of jeans, shirts, t-shirts, long-sleeves, and then five pairs of scrubs. Kate knew Sheldon was a creature of habit; they'd go to do laundry on Saturdays and Kate worked a fulltime job but seldom needed five scrubs in a row, but for the sake of it, she bought another pair, equally six. They were solid colors, but Kate wanted that vibrant color like Penny's; she bought neon pink, green, blue, purple, and a black pair of scrubs so she could wear yellow underneath (a batman combination); her last pair was red. When she'd gotten the scrubs in the cart, Kate felt a vibration in her pants; she pulled out her phone from her purse and answered it.

"Dr. Burns," said Kate—pure habit.

"It's Sheldon."

"Oh, hello," said Kate. She glanced at her watch. It was two o'clock. She'd literally spent two hours at a consignment shop, in and out of the booth to try on scrubs? Wow…time flies when you're having fun.

"Where are you?"

"I'm at a consignment shop across the street," said Kate, putting her phone between her neck and shoulder so she could pick out her jeans and shirts.

"Really, Kate? A consignment shop?" Sheldon's voice leaked sarcasm and disappointment. The next statement was liquefied with disapproval: "Do you have any idea what could be transferred from the clothes you've modeled and those that were previously possessed and worn naked by the predecessors? Obviously not; I'd suggest the mall, or someplace more inhabitable by mankind."

"Sheldon, it's a short distance from the apartment and it's cheaper," said Kate tiredly.

"I'm offering prevention of transferred diseases, Kate, not convenience."

"And I'm offering reason," returned Kate. "I'm tired and I needed to go someplace anyway to get clothes, pajamas, and scrubs. I'm not walking around town or the hospital with jeans or Penny's pajamas. Besides, I thought it would be more beneficial if I'd gone this early that way I can come home and try to sleep again."

"And you thought that would benefit you and me?" asked Sheldon, his voice obviously stating the opposite. "What comfort did you think you would provide by writing a note—in chicken scratch, I must add, very unprofessional—without specifying your time of leaving or location?"

"Why would I need to tell you _when _I left?" asked Kate.

"Why would—Kate, you _must _be tired," Sheldon stated factitiously. "_When _you left is just as important as when you may arrive. If you left here an hour ago and said you would be here an hour later, perhaps you'd already been an hour gone and I'm supposed to perceive already the time you left versus the time you've been gone? What would I tell the police?"

"The police?" repeated Kate. "Why would they have anything to do with it?"

"I'd have to file a missing person claim," said Sheldon in his matter-of-fact tone again.

"Sheldon, nothing would have happened to me in the past two hours and…"

"Ah, so you've been gone _two _hours? How would I have known that?" Sheldon interrupted as though he'd proven his point.

"Because I just told you," said Kate.

"That excuse would have been pure hokum in the event of your disappearance; no one would have known how long you'd been gone," said Sheldon. "Quite frankly, I'm offended by your lack of courtesy. Do you know that there has to be a time range of 24 hours between the disappearance and the non-reappearance in order for a missing person to become an official missing person?"

Kate sighed quietly. She was tired, and getting a migraine. That must have been the sleep deprivation.

"Yes, I know," Kate returned.

"Well, you clearly have ignored the objective, as you haven't written, emailed, nor texted me the time you've been gone, aka, _disappeared,"_ said Sheldon.

"I haven't disappeared; you're talking to me on the phone," Kate replied.

"Irrelevant," Sheldon replied immediately.

"Look, I'm sorry for not giving you the time when I left. I left two and a half hours ago, okay? Now, I'm almost done." Kate said. "I have two more shirts to try on and then I'll be home within thirty minutes; If I'm not home by three o'clock, you can assume that I'm dead."

"That's a morbid assumption; I prefer to presume than assume," said Sheldon.

"Then presume I'm dead," said Kate, mouthing afterwards the phrase 'oh my god'. Kate heard Sheldon say his good bye and then she hung up as well. Quickly, she tried on the two last shirts, agreed they fit well, and rung up her items with Daisy.

"Was that your boyfriend on the phone?" asked Daisy. When Kate glanced at her befuddled, Daisy smiled apologetically and said, "I couldn't help but hear the conversation."

"He's a friend," said Kate.

"He's quite worried about you, isn't he?"

"He does nothing but worry," she replied.

Daisy grinned broadly and handed Kate five full bags of clothes.

"Thanks," said Kate. "I'll probably come again real soon."

"Hopefully between eleven and two," said Daisy, grinning.

"Good bye and good night," said Kate.

"To you as well, my dear." Daisy said, waving her hand.

Kate drove back home and she met Sheldon who was sitting on the couch, waiting for her.

"What are you doing?" asked Kate, walking in with the five bags. Sheldon stood and helped her, probably out of courtesy than willingness.

When the bags sat on the couch (except on his spot), Sheldon looked at Kate, apparently still disappointed with the last conversation.

"You still went to the beaten down shop, didn't you?" said Sheldon. He shook his head. "I thought you'd have acted more rationally after our conversation."

"Call me crazy, Sheldon, but I was tired and already there. Besides, we're doing laundry tonight anyway," said Kate.

"I think your talk with Penny bore your rationality out of your head and replaced it with her idea of sensibility," Sheldon chastised. He sat on the arm of his side of the couch and looked at the bags. "What is all this?"

"_This_," said Kate, holding up her scrubs, "is my clothing attire for work, vacation, and overall cover so I don't have to walk around in Leonard's shirts."

Sheldon nodded his head, for this seemed more than reasonable to him.

"At least you accepted my advice per Leonard's bedsheets," Sheldon returned.

"I did," said Kate. "And again I thank you."

"You're welcome," returned Sheldon. He paused for a moment. "Kate, would you really want me to presume your death had occurred if you truly had not arrived in more than thirty minutes, not a minute later?"

Kate looked at him, placing her scrubs back in the bag.

"Of course not," she returned. "I was tired and being sarcastic."

"I'll have you know that I'm not an expert in sarcasm, nor do I completely understand facial expressions and body language," said Sheldon.

"Accepted," said Kate. She smiled. "Are we good?"

"Good what?" Sheldon asked.

"Nevermind." Kate said. "I'm going to bed after I hang all of these up. I'm going to put Leonard's garb into a bag and set it in front of Penny's door…I don't want to sneak around and scare Leonard and watch him try to attack me."

Sheldon paused for another moment and then exhaled his breathy laugh.

"What's so funny?" asked Kate.

"Your reference to Howard's cowardly pose on the floor being the similar circumstance which Leonard would be in if you were to sneak as well was humorous," said Sheldon. He did his breathy laugh again and he smiled at her. "Good night, Kate."

"Good night, Sheldon." Kate returned, smiling as well.

He left the living room to his bedroom. Kate went into the bedroom, took down Leonard's belongings and placed it in a trashbag, folded neatly ontop of each other. In the closet, she hung her long sleeve shirts, then t-shirts, jeans, and her scrubs; her pajamas were hung as well, feeling that Leonard could sweep out his…delicates…on his own time.

She laid down in the bed and fell asleep for another few hours before awaking at seven; she went to the bathroom to relieve her bladder and bowel, showered, and was ready at eight when Sheldon awoke as well. She wore her black scrubs over a long sleeve yellow shirt, and had her hair pinned in a delicate bun; a few locks of hair fell from the bun and gave her a fashionable, but messy, bun look.

She was more than prepared to work and come back home to do laundry.


	13. The Tired Argument

Chapter Thirteen: The Tired Argument

**Author's Note: **Thank you **Tomasina **for your help in the last few chapters, a major contribution, and thanks for your praise, **Jislane **and **Robert12774. **I hope you all enjoy this next chapter of my story As always, read and review

Kate drove to the physics/science department but it seemed to be a long drive rather than the short stop she'd made this early morning in purchasing her clothes and essentials. Kate was still lacking her necessary sleep and it caused her physical appearance to hinder her practically unapproachable. Still, Sheldon had said nothing of this morning's inconvenience to her so she was a little happier than after she'd woken up.

Sheldon wore his normal routine of his favorite superhero shirt over a long-sleeved shirt, and chino pants. He carried a tan bag along his left side, until now, for it sat on his lap. He glanced at Kate, who was quiet.

"I presume you had the necessary amount of sleep?" asked Sheldon.

Kate was startled by his initial conversation and turned to him, slightly hesitant.

"No," she said. "I didn't. I'm very tired."

She turned her eyes back on the road and glanced at him again.

"Why do you ask?" she inquired.

"I believe two people should converse about their morning appropriately prior to starting a day's worth of ambiguity and all the while expelling the uncomfortable silence of the morning," said Sheldon, glancing at her as well. "You realize that one's morning starts only as one perceives it to be."

Kate looked at him, slightly irate.

"You're telling me you believe that when a person's morning starts out okay, they think the rest of the day will be okay as well?" asked Kate.

Sheldon sighed, expelling what Kate understood as impatience.

"Well, I didn't want to spell it out to you, talking word-for-word of what the proverb entailed but if you wish me to explain it to you, I shall." Sheldon returned coolly.

"No, don't explain it." Kate muttered.

Sheldon glanced at her.

"My, my, you're a different person in the morning than you are in the afternoon. If I'm not mistaken—which I hardly am not—I would have to predict your testy tone exonerates from last night's misunderstanding. Did you not go to bed straight after your pre-laundry day, or did I hear wrong?" Sheldon questioned.

Kate glanced at him.

"Sheldon, I'm not exactly one for chitchat in the morning," she said exasperatedly.

"Oh good," said Sheldon, smiling with incredible relief. He then became somewhat annoyed and said, "So all of this effort for null."

"No, not null."

Sheldon flinched slightly at her sentence. Kate didn't care to notice. She was having hard enough time on keeping her attention on the road. If she was having such a hard time doing this, good lord…what would happen in the ER?

Kate turned into a parking lot of a convenient store. Sheldon looked at her, surprised.

"What are you doing?" he asked as Kate stepped out of the car. She didn't respond to him. Instead, she returned with two Redbulls and a Mountain Dew, which, as she became settled in the car once again, she offered to Sheldon, who took it.

"What was all that about?" asked Sheldon.

"I'm tired, Sheldon," repeated Kate. God, how many times did she have to say it? "I'm tired, and I have three scheduled surgeries this morning; I can't be tired. I have to be awake. I have to be alert." She opened a red bull and gulped it down in five swallows. Sheldon watched her, and then opened his Mountain Dew.

"I normally don't drink caffeine this early in the morning," Sheldon remarked, looking at the beverage with subtle mixture of eagerness and hesitancy.

"Then don't drink it," said Kate.

Sheldon looked at her.

"I can't return it; I've already opened it," said Sheldon pointedly.

Kate looked at him incredulously.

"Then save it for later," she replied.

"I guess I could do that," Sheldon stated, more thoughtfully than accepting. "Well, I don't see why it should go to waste." He capped the drink and placed it in his bag. "Who knows: I may acquire the hypersensitive drink during the day. It is refreshing at times."

Kate looked at him for a moment. She could deal with Sheldon's facts and his picky attitude. But right now, Kate started the engine again and she was praying that the effects of the energy drink would start within the next five minutes.

She got her wish; she was feeling on top of everything when she pulled into the parking lot of Sheldon's work; incidentally, Penny and Leonard pulled up right behind them. Sheldon looked at Kate.

"Aren't you coming?" he asked.

"I work at a hospital, Sheldon," Kate responded, smiling.

"Oh, that's right," said Sheldon. He moved out of the car but stopped before turning to her, looking perplexed. "I forget you are not a physicist, but who could blame me. Most females prefer work unlike yours, although I do give credit where credit is due, and your job laments an emotional and physical association with people, and that's something I cannot do."

"Have a good day at work, Sheldon," Kate returned.

"Have a good—you would think that would work but I assure you adamantly that it does not," Sheldon remarked. "My mother constantly told me 'have a good day' and my 'good days' were featuring my head being half-drowned in a toilet, or my pants hanging down around my ankles. Most assuredly, the phrase has no meaning."

Smiling, Kate said, "Alright then. I hope you have a good day at work."

"As do I to you," said Sheldon. He beamed. "Thank you for taking me to work."

"You're welcome."

"Bye," Sheldon said simply, and he left without another word.

Penny stopped by shortly and crawled into the seat with Kate, who looked half-surprised to see her but not so shocked to her presence. Penny grinned broadly.

"It's so weird we see each other on a daily basis, isn't it?" asked Penny. "I didn't even think you'd be getting up as early as you did to take Sheldon to work; I thought I'd have to do it."

"I was up this morning at midnight," said Kate. "I've hardly had any sleep."

Penny furrowed her eyebrows.

"So you've been drinking redbulls since midnight?" Penny questioned, inquiring the redbulls state of emptiness and the second one having just been opened, as it was fizzing.

"No; I went to the consignment shop across the street for scrubs and clothes, which reminds me," said Kate, snapping her fingers, "I bought extra pajamas so you're more than welcome to take yours back, if you want them."

"Oh, you know what, I forgot all about them," laughed Penny.

"So happy accident then, huh," Kate said, exchanging the laugh.

"I know, right?" Penny said, smiling. "I'm actually glad I could have a moment with you. I'm having a bit of a girl's night with Amy and Bernadette; since you're practically part of us, do you want to mingle?"

"Mingle?" Kate responded, the idea was perplexing.

"You know, hang out?" Penny stated, smiling furtively. "It'll be fun."

"Tonight?"

"Yeah."

"I was going to do laundry with Sheldon…" Kate responded.

"Ah, Dr. Wack-a-doodle," Penny reminisced. "You'll have plenty days to do laundry with Sheldon. Saturday is always laundry day, besides, I think it would be good for all of us to talk."

"Okay then," Kate returned. "I'll think about it, okay?"

"Sure thing," Penny replied happily. She crawled out of the car. "Have a good day at work!"

"You too," said Kate. She pulled out of the parking lot and sped to the hospital; she felt the energy sweeping through her bloodstream like the sweet drug the caffeine provided. By the time she entered the hospital lobby, she was excited, energized, and yet, equally shaky. This was not going to be good for the surgery either.

Kate had finished her second surgery and was perpetually exhausted from the long hour of standing and hurriedly patching a stomach wound together after a large knife with serrated edges had shredded the flesh like swiss cheese. Not only did Kate's steady hand become jittery and shaky because of the caffeinated beverage she'd gulped down moments before, she was also feeling overly confident in her abilities. It wasn't a bad thing, but the fear of doing something wrong was a good motivator in doing things carefully. Luckily for her, Kate was a professional and she did her job easily and smoothly, but when the surgery was finished, Kate was practically lacking in energy.

She shredded away her gown, mask, gloves, and booties, washed her hands, and then took a breather outside of the ER. There had been blood spurting from the arteries and veins and anything else that could spurt out, did. The surgery had been a success but it left Kate unable to stand any longer; she'd done many surgeries but this one left her in a state of nausea.

"Are you okay, Dr. Burns?"

Kate looked up to see Daisy, from the consignment shop.

"What are you doing here?" asked Kate. She leaned into the back of the chair, her legs were jelly.

"I'm back in the business," said Daisy, grinning.

Kate got a good look at her clothes and realized she was in seal-colored scrubs with a puppy dog-printed lab coat worn over her scrub top. Her badge read her name and the title underneath: RN, or Registered Nurse.

Kate raised her eyebrows.

"Why did you come back?" asked Kate.

"I thought since I knew someone in the department that I wouldn't mind working hand-to-hand with you, if you don't mind the pun."

"The pun?"

"Never mind," Daisy said, smiling. "I'm an Nurse/ER technician, so I'll be working alongside with you."

"That's wonderful," Kate remarked.

"Isn't it, though," Daisy agreed.

Kate felt her phone vibrating in her back pocket and when she took out the phone and saw the number, she cursed. She glanced at her watch, and cursed again. Turning to Daisy, Kate excused herself, and she answered the phone.

"It surprises me, Kate, how quickly you forget about people," Sheldon stated from the opposite line. "Do you have any idea what time it is?"

"Yeah, I know; I just looked at it."

"You just looked—Kate, what have you been doing since the departure?"

"I've been working, Sheldon; I just got out of two surgeries, the last one would hinder you lifeless if you even experienced a sixteenth of what I've just finished," said Kate, her irritability had definitely returned.

"Be it as it may, I'm still waiting outside of work. Honestly, you should keep a timed watch with you at all times, otherwise we wouldn't have to deal with such problems. They could all be avoided," Sheldon stated. "Even before clocks were made, the first was not even mechanical; it focused on the sun's setting and rising, and its shadow would place the time of day—"

Kate took the phone from her ear and turned to Daisy, mouthing 'I'm going to go home'.

"Good day, Kate," Daisy whispered.

"To you too," said Kate. She put the phone back on her ear. "Sheldon, give me two more minutes and I'll be right there."

"Good. I'll be waiting," Sheldon remarked. He hung up. Kate shook her head. Oh she needed an aspirin.

Kate and Sheldon were in the car again, although this time, Sheldon didn't put forth the effort in continuing conversation. Kate was irritated; he was no expert on emotions and facial expressions but she showed all the signs of irritation: flaring nostrils, the small vein in her neck was showing, and her fingers subconsciously tapped the steering wheel. Also, she had an unhealthy shouting match with someone who flipped her the finger.

When Kate pulled to the parking lot, and they'd arrived home, Sheldon looked at her; neither appeared ready to exit the vehicle.

"Are you still mad?" asked Sheldon curiously.

"I'm not mad. I'm tired."

"Evidently, your exhaustion has reached its limit," said Sheldon. "You've been neglectful of my needs and have been…"

"Sheldon," Kate sighed deeply.

He stopped mid-sentence.

"Yes?" he asked; his voice was softer, a tone that Kate hadn't hear before, but she appreciated it.

"I know I haven't been attentive to the time and place of things today. But as I've said before, I'm very tired. I didn't get any sleep." Kate said softly.

Sheldon looked as though he could pass this excuse off for now, but if there were more strikes, he'd have to file complaints per Roommate Agreement. Kate looked at him thankfully, and the two exited the car. When Kate closed the door and rounded the car, she continued.

"Penny asked me to join Amy, Bernadette and her for a girl talk or a girls' night," said Kate. "I can't remember to which she referred exactly."

Sheldon stopped at the doorway.

"You're going to her apartment instead of doing laundry with me?" asked Sheldon.

"Yeah, that's what I planning," Kate remarked.

"Good," Sheldon said, smiling. "I like doing laundry alone; I prefer it that way." He continued to retrieve the mail and joined Kate in ascending the stairs.

"So you're not upset that I'm choosing Penny's friends over you?" Kate pointed out.

"You say it that way as though you're trying to persuade me to disagree but I don't see the point in doing so, as I've already made the decision clear and precise," Sheldon stated. He looked to his left as he and Kate's feet synchronized up the stairs like they'd done the night before.

"Alright, I was just making sure," Kate returned.

"The only thing I'll tell you is that while you refuse to do laundry and instead garble with Penny and the other females, I'll still do Leonard's bedsheets for you so their incessant presence is not a burden to your sight," Sheldon stated lightly.

"Thank you, Sheldon. That is very generous."

"I know," Sheldon remarked.

They were silent as they ascended the last staircase and still when Kate opened the apartment door. Sheldon awaited her entry first then came in last, closing the door after he'd entered.

"I do have a condition," Sheldon said before Kate could leave the living room.

"Condition? What would that be?" asked Kate.

Sheldon stopped short for a moment.

"Are you asking me the word's definition or what my condition requires?" asked Sheldon slowly, hoping it was the latter for if it were the former, he would reconsider Kate's intelligence.

"I know what the word means," she replied coolly. "What's your condition prior to my spending time with Penny?"

"Should a situation arise that you become bored with Penny and her friends' conversation, you are more than welcome to join me in laundry day," said Sheldon. "I do prefer my own company versus a female but the duty can be somewhat tedious and I pride myself with intellectual conversation that stimulates the activity to pass more quickly."

Kate smiled.

"Actually," she said softly, "I've changed my mind. I may just as well do my own laundry; I can spend time with Penny another day."

"Oh good!" Sheldon exclaimed, grinning ear-to-ear. "We can then, as the adage goes, 'touch base', with your lack of time attention and intiative."

Kate frowned slightly but she was too tired to argue that she was tired and the argument would only circle.


	14. The Apocalyptic Copulation Simulation

Chapter Fourteen: The Apocalyptic Copulation Simulation

Sheldon had many a times had done laundry with other people; he had more than enough times come upon Penny while she was doing hers. Kate was no different. When he'd offered plainly that Kate come with him to do laundry, she was aloof, but something in her had changed when he'd offered that he preferred companionship in doing such a tedious task. Kate preferred his company to Penny's: should that have surprised him….probably not.

He readied his laundry basket and Kate was behind him ready as well. She even brought her own detergent, a liquid rather than the powder provided in the laundry room. She smiled with a little beaming grin and together they exited the apartment; Kate locked the door on the way out.

"Would you like to know an amusing fact?" said Sheldon. Before Kate was able to say yay or nay, he'd continued already. "When there were no Laundromats available nor the rooms in which we wash and dry our own laundry to this day, women were looked up to in order to provide the service. They'd boil water over a fire and hand-wash the clothes in a bucket."

Kate looked at him and said, "I hardly think about the ancient times, Sheldon."

They descended the staircase.

"I would think otherwise," remarked Sheldon. He turned to her. "It's always important to look back in the past to see how mankind will react in the future."

"What do you mean?"

"Well," Sheldon stated, "there's the possibility that we all may endure the apocalypse, in which it would destroy all our water source and possibly everything that lives within the planet Earth. Another possible end-of-the-world theory is that the ATM machines and toasters will form a robotic manipulation of humans and we'll be suffered to live under their rule, which, if one perceives the idea, is not too degenerative of a thought; we could learn a lot from robotics."

Kate and Sheldon descended the next flight of stairs.

"Luckily, in the event of a zombie apocalypse, in which we all must fear for our lives from flesh-eating hordes, I've procured a few items in the back of my closet, which includes but is not limited to, a crossbow and a series of DVD collections, all backed up on a flash drive." Sheldon stated.

Kate glanced at him.

"You really have an end-of-the-world zombie survival kit in the back of your closet?" asked Kate incredulously. "You're kidding!"

"I never kid about safety," Sheldon replied. "I also have a backpack filled with the same supplies underneath my bed."

"That's preparation, all right," agreed Kate. She looked at him for a moment. "What would you do if all the USB ports were destroyed in the apocalypse?"

"Then there would be no reason to live, would there?" asked Sheldon seriously.

"That's ominous."

"But true," Sheldon interjected. "Actually, a renowned physicist by the name of Dr. Elizabeth Plimpton offered me the same inquiry, to which I made adamant amends to my kit. I've included a portable with a USB port, and even installed several of the Star Trek episodes, some of my most favorite, in the computer so should the USB ports fail to continue to exist, I still have a reason to live."

Kate offered him a smile.

"You think of everything, don't you, Sheldon?"

"Of course, I do. I'm a physicist." Sheldon remarked, stating fact. He watched Kate move past him down the stairs and they were on the last flight of stairs.

"I actually had a theory of my own, where apocalypses are concerned," Kate stated.

"Really?" said Sheldon. "Indulge me."

"It's kind of stupid," Kate remarked.

"Nonsense, a cataclysmic event which would hinder mankind helpless and without hope is nothing short of stupid, in fact, I've taken to inquire Leonard about the apocalypses he'd hypothesize would incur but so far, I've been lacking his efforts. Apparently, he believes we will encounter a disaster as likely as we all would attend a movie regarding Barbie and her most recent problem of physical appearance imparity."

Kate chuckled.

"What's so funny?" Sheldon asked.

They were now on the last three steps, to which Sheldon stopped them and turned to her completely.

"Barbie has no physical impairment, Sheldon; most girls would kill themselves to be Barbie." Kate stated.

"From my understanding, they do." Sheldon said. "Although I do understand what lengths a woman would go to in order to prolong the aging process, I hardly understand the need to wear the war paint I see Penny or, on one occasion, Amy, or even you, Kate, endow emphatically."

"It's to increase attractiveness," Kate stated.

"I know what make-up is intended to do," Sheldon remarked. "It's the reason why women do it that befuddles me."

Kate looked at him but her expression to Sheldon was unfathomable.

"Some people judge other people by their appearance," Kate explained. They continued down the few stairs and then to the laundry room. "Some people regard their future mate based solely on appearances alone, which gives the girls the need to look and sometimes act like Barbie."

"Do you?" asked Sheldon.

"Do I what?"

"Do you base your future mate on appearances?" Sheldon questioned frankly.

"Sheldon, I'm a surgeon. I look on the inside, because that's what counts."

"I disagree," Sheldon remarked.

"How do you disagree?" Kate asked curiously. "Are you saying I'm shallow?"

"Well, you do have that outlook," Sheldon stated.

Kate stopped him before he walked another step, in doing so, she pulled him back by his shoulder; he glanced at her.

"What do you mean I have that outlook?" Kate stated curtly. "I'm not a shallow person, Sheldon."

"I never said you were shallow," Sheldon replied.

"But you inferred it."

"Wrong, Kate. I implied it, you then inferred it."

"So I'm right, you think I'm shallow," Kate stated coldly.

Sheldon felt slightly nervous. Her tone had become increasingly cold and angry, and her body language read more than easily that she was offended. He didn't know what to say in order to resolve this argument.

"Look, Kate," said Sheldon slowly. "When I was in the elementary school of my youth, there were people that resembled the personal appearance that you maintain. Those girls and boys were belonging to the clique—forgive me when I do this—'popularity',"—Sheldon made air quotes—"and to be quite frank, they regarded anyone who didn't look like them, for lack of a better word, 'lame'. In my personal experience, they were shallow, and by looking to my past and historical events, I have to presume you were—and probably still are—that 'popular' person."

"So you're taking evidence from your past to categorize me as one of the stuck-up sleaze bags that regarded people for their appearance rather than their personality?" Kate snarled angrily.

"Well, yes," said Sheldon. "To do otherwise would be assuming, and you know how I feel about that."

"Sheldon, you could be no more wrong than you are now," Kate snapped. She put her laundry basket on the ground. "You think I'm a shallow person then you're wrong. You think I was one of those popular girls in school just because you think I'm attractive now, you're still wrong. Correction, Sheldon, you're wrong about that and you're wrong about me."

"So I'm to conclude that my hypothesis was incorrect," Sheldon returned.

"YES IT WAS INCORRECT!" Kate shouted.

Sheldon flinched slightly. Kate saw this and she closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath.

"You're presuming I'm the same type of people that bullied you in school, but I'm not, Sheldon, and it hurts me to know you feel that way," Kate stated, her eyes reflecting something that Sheldon couldn't understand.

Not knowing her emotion, Sheldon was tiptoeing her edginess.

"I get the impression that I've crossed some kind of boundary," Sheldon stated.

"You did." Kate returned coldly. "You judge me because of my appearance, not my mentality or my personality."

"You're getting this all wrong," Sheldon responded, stepping towards her. "I don't care if you were attractive or unattractive. I did judge you, yes, but by your intelligence. You and I are equal in intellectual caliber. My presumption to your past inclination was that you are quite snarky when ill-tempered and you do possess the similar outer traits that resemble those that had placed their ill-temper upon me back when I was ten years old."

"See," Kate stated softly, "that still doesn't help any."

"It helps me a lot," Sheldon replied.

"How does that help you?" asked Kate. "It sure doesn't make me feel any better. Perhaps I can indulge you on the fact that when I, myself, was ten years old that I had to get all of my hair cut off because a stupid little boy by the name of Kyle Doors put five sticks of chewing gum in my hair and my mother could not get it out because of all that gum?"

"I was given numerous swirlies," said Sheldon. He paused. "In fact, I got them when I was at school and by a contentious twin sister I lived with at the time, and an older brother."

Kate frowned.

"It's nice to see that you compare me to people that have hurt you, Sheldon," Kate stated cynically.

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows in confusion.

"Sarcasm?" He denoted.

Kate exhaled a loud sigh of exasperation.

"Yes, Sheldon, it was sarcasm." Kate muttered. She shook her head. "You know what, let's forget about all of this and do some laundry."

"I can't forget about it; I have an eidetic memory."

"Of course you do," Kate stated; she couldn't argue with that.

Kate and Sheldon continued their laundry day. Before they finished the last load, Sheldon leaned against the table where clothes could be neatly folded, and watched Kate put her last load in the dryer.

"Kate."

"Yes, Sheldon?"

"You never told me your hypothesis of how the world would end," said Sheldon.

Kate straightened from putting the clothes in the dryer after closing the door and starting the machine.

"You still want to know about that?" Kate asked.

"Of course," Sheldon responded. "Any theorem of how the world will end is welcomed in my book, considering the best way to come to a precise conclusion to a problem is collecting all possible solution and figuring the best combination to include all suggestions; in my view, the only way to survive an end-of-the-world situation is to do just that. So, Kate, what is your theory?"

Kate smiled and stood next to him, leaning as he did. Sheldon caught a good whiff of what smelled like vanilla and cinnamon. She crossed her arms thoughtfully and turned to him.

"I have a theory that when the world ends, two people will be responsible for procreating the earth back to his current population. It's a nightmare, because the two people left would be a man and a woman with the IQ of numbers lower than ten." Kate said.

Sheldon nodded. That sounded terrifying.

"So," said Kate, "if you and I are the only two people left, we'd have to join them in procreation and that would be a nightmare as well, for it leaves you with a mentally challenged Indian and I'm left with a man who can't spell 'cat'."

"In that case," Sheldon muttered, "procreation sounds even worse; I never thought I'd say that."

"Unless," Kate offered, "you'd be able to opt the chance of expelling the two idiots for me."

"You mean instead of procreating with a woman who symbolizes all nightmarish poppycock," said Sheldon slowly, "you'd propose copulating with me?"

Kate shrugged, saying, "It'd be an option, let's just say."

"Alright," said Sheldon smoothly. "Should we ever become placed in that situation where the rest of humanity rests on our bodies preserving the knowledge of human kind in an intelligent population, then, I suppose, the option could be considered. However, if I don't have to copulate with the unintelligent Asian or you, that would be just as fine with me."

Kate smiled.

"Does the idea of procreation make you uncomfortable, Sheldon?"

"Entirely," Sheldon stated.

"Not the idea of copulating with me?" Kate offered.

Sheldon looked at her and then turned his whole body to her. She did the same.

"Let me prioritize correctly without causing you neither offense nor me the obligation to have intercourse with you," said Sheldon slowly, making sure he picked his words correctly. "I'm more enthralled by the idea of preserving the knowledge than I am in procreating life, but if I was placed in a robotic body with no mind of my own and had the options of you or the Asian woman in making half-robotic and half-human progenies, then, Kate, you would be my one and only option."

Kate looked at him, a serene smile curved her lips. Sheldon cleared his throat softly and pointed at her dryer.

"Your clothes are done," he said quietly.

"Oh right," said Kate. She smiled at him and then went to pulling her clothes out of the dryer. Meanwhile, Sheldon felt his face burn bright red, and wondered if Kate had seen it. His palms were clammy, but he was sure that was talking about the possibility of intercourse with not only another human being but with Kate. He sighed and thought of something else…trains…yes, think of trains…


	15. The Fainting Permanency

Chapter Fifteen: The Fainting Permanency

Kate and Sheldon folded their clothes differently; while Sheldon used a board to perfectly align his shirts, pants, even his socks, Kate was the old-fashioned folding shirts with hands and nothing else. Sheldon glanced at her; he was still under the impression that the conversation they'd had twenty minutes ago was still in her head, because it was definitely in his. The transition to trains from their copulation conversation had done nothing but make him think that if he _had_ to do it anywhere, god forbid, it'd be in a train. Sheldon cringed at the idea, but his mind ceased to dawdle on the idea.

He glanced at Kate, who was humming a tune that was not unlike 'Who's In The Kitchen With Dina'. It had a different tune, dreary in its tone, but soothing in her voice. Sheldon didn't ask her to stop. Although he cared not for Penny's singing, he preferred Kate's. Still, silence was more forgiving. Then at least he could try to think of something other than the apocalyptic back-up plan that he and Kate had somehow managed to plan if they were left with an Asian-Native American woman or a retarded man, who couldn't spell 'mat' or 'dog'.

"What are you humming?" Sheldon asked suddenly.

He'd interrupted Kate's muted singing, but she looked at him, momentarily startled; she folded her flash shirt that Sheldon had seen her in first. Granted, that had only been yesterday. This day was taking forever.

"I don't know; I was making it up as I go," Kate replied. "Was it bothering you?"

"I prefer to fold my clothes in silence," said Sheldon, "but I suppose it's not _bothering _me."

"But you would prefer I'd not hum at all, right?"

"Right," said Sheldon.

"Very well," she replied. "Would you prefer to engage in conversation?"

"I believe we are," Sheldon pointed out. "If anything, I'd prefer conversation over singing. Although, I don't dislike the activity either; I've found it appealing in many situations. For instance, when Penny and I were engaged in an optimized management of creating Penny Blossoms, we sang several songs at one point, even the toddler ones that featured 'Row, Row, Row your boat'. It's quite time-passing."

Kate smiled.

"What are Penny Blossoms?"

"Little hair berets that girls can wear in their hair to stylize," Sheldon replied. "Penny's creation—as to coin a phrase 'one thing led to another'. Leonard, Howard, Raj, Penny, and I managed to create 1000 Penny Blossoms in 24 hours; tiring, it was, but it was also the same day I learned that coffee gives me quite the Flash of an energy boost."

"She no longer makes them?" asked Kate.

"Of course not; after 1,000 Penny Blossoms, Penny agreed that it wasn't worth the time or effort spent on them. It was a shame she hadn't figured that one out by Penny Blossom number three-hundred and forty-two. Otherwise, it would have saved me the expenditure of going out in my Flash costume to fetch coffee filters and the brand." Sheldon stated.

He folded the last of his clothes and placed the shirt and the board in the laundry basket. Kate finished folding her pants in three folds and placed them in her laundry basket as well.

"I think we are ready to go back upstairs," said Sheldon.

"I believe so as well," returned Kate. She turned and he did; the two were in front of the door but neither seemed to take the first step to walk out.

Kate bit her lip; Sheldon found this to be a rather odd habit of hers.

"Sheldon."

"Yes, Kate."

"I'm sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable, our conversation earlier," Kate said slowly.

"I hardly see how Penny Blossoms could make one uncomfortable, unless one is uncomfortable about talking about flowers or hair accessories," said Sheldon, repositioning his laundry basket to his side. Kate smiled.

"Right," said Kate hesitantly. "Of course..." She bit her lip again but didn't insist on the conversation.

Sheldon felt that she had something more to say about the topic, but for some odd reason she only turned and went out of the door first. Sheldon could tell, just from the way she held back some knowledge, that there was something more pressing in her mind. He didn't care to ask, for he hardly wished to find out, especially if it had to deal with their embarrassing conversation about having coitus with one another to repopulate the earth. He hoped _that _scenario never happened, and if it did, he hoped to the deity he disbelieved that he'd be the first to go.

A few minutes back in the apartment, Kate sat on the couch with Sheldon; he was watching his Star Trek episode, to this Kate had no attention span. She wrote in her medical journal, perceiving her days surgeries into what would be her memoirs. To Kate's pleasure, Sheldon paid her no heed as he was immersed in today's Star Trek: The Next Generation episodes—two episodes, and 2 hours' worth of fun for him.

Kate felt her vibration from her phone and pulled out the phone, curious to see who would be texting her. It was five in the afternoon.

_It's penny. R U coming over?_

Kate replied back, _IDK. What R U guys doing?_

_Nothing much; We're having a girl talk._

Kate cringed. She never had many sleep overs. Perhaps that was because she never had many friends. Then again, Kate was opinionated and stubborn, and perhaps—as Sheldon had said before—a little shallow. Kate shook her head to tell herself she was definitely not a bitch…or was she?

_Sure, I'm coming over. _

Kate stood and Sheldon glanced at her.

"Where are you going?"

"I'm going to Penny's," returned Kate.

"For what reason?"

"To talk, hang out, and whatnot," Kate stated.

Sheldon shook his head.

"Go 'head, you might as well." He looked back at the television.

"Do you not want me to go?" asked Kate.

"On a contrary, I wouldn't care if you did or not. I'm pleased to say that I don't need the sufficient company of human companionship to sustain my amusement when Star Trek is on the television; personally, your silence is making me uncomfortable. This, and I doubt the reason you would stay if you've shown disinterest in Star Trek; what are the odds that you not interested now that you'd become interested later?"

Kate stared at him but shook her head, similarly like Penny. She smiled sweetly and stepped out of the apartment, closing the door on the way out. It was time for her to have a little girl talk, even if it meant for a few minutes.

When Kate entered the room, she found that it was only Penny on the couch, her lactose intolerant boyfriend absent from the room.

"Where's Leonard?" asked Kate.

"He's at work."

"It's five in the afternoon," responded Kate.

"I know; he said he would be late."

"Oh…" Kate returned. She sat on the couch with Penny, who looked gorgeous in a colorfully striped tank top and blue shorts.

"So," said Penny, "how did Laundry day go?"

"It was interesting," returned Kate. "I discussed my apocalyptic ideas with Sheldon and we've come across a compromise that should Sheldon be turned into a robot having no human mind of his own and he was forced to copulate with someone to produce half-robot and half-human progenies that I would be his surrogate."

Penny stared at her, mouth agape.

"What?" asked Kate.

"How did you all come across—you know what, I don't want to know." Penny said. "How's living with him? Are you insane yet?"

"If I was, saying so would make me sound of mind," Kate responded. "It's actually an interesting question. When someone says their okay, they're actually crazy. But a crazy person will say they're normal when they're actually crazy, so to be frank, all of us are a bit insane, although Sheldon could be the more highly evolved sort of crazy."

Penny grinned.

"I gotcha," Penny replied.

Kate smiled too.

"You never came back for your pajamas; did you intend on me keeping them?"

"Nah, you can have them. Odds are I'm going to back out in the world and buy new ones," said Penny. "I have this idea for Leonard that when he comes back, I'll have no pajamas at all."

"So you'll be naked?" asked Kate.

"Of course," Penny responded. She grinned. "I think he wouldn't care whether or not I was dressed, undressed, or wearing a monkey's outfit. He'd still love me for it."

"Oh, so your relationship is deeper than meaningless sex," Kate stated.

"Of course it is," Penny rebound. She suddenly looked confused and steadily affronted. "Did you think we were friends with benefits?"

"Well, yes and no," Kate stated coolly. "You're pretty, by all means and he's a smart guy."

"So?" asked Penny. "What's that have to do with anything?" She paused. "Are you saying that he's not good enough for me?"

"I'm saying that it's sweet you and Leonard are together," Kate remarked. "I bet he thinks himself lucky."

"We're both lucky to have each other."

"That too…" Kate returned. She bit her lip. "Penny, I have to ask you something, regarding Sheldon."

"Sure."

Penny crossed her legs on the couch while Kate tucked her knees underneath her.

"Has Sheldon ever been with another woman?"

"He's been with Amy," Penny noted. "They'd been together for two years and broke up. I called them 'Shamy'. If you and Sheldon become girlfriend-boyfriend, I'll have to call you Keldon, or Shate…neither really sound as good as 'Shamy' but I'll think of something."

Kate nodded slowly. She looked at Penny, leaning towards her slightly.

"Had they ever…you know…"

"I don't know, sweetie," Penny returned gently. "I mean, sure, there was a rumor where Amy and Sheldon had sex but then there was a rumor that the two of them had gotten pregnant but after the hype had gone down, it came to everyone that it was just some weird social experiment. I don't know the extent of what they've done so I can't answer that really."

Kate nodded.

"Why?" asked Penny. She widened her eyes. "Did you two…"

"No," said Kate. "But I found that he doesn't like the idea of procreation."

Penny stared at her.

"What exactly do you all talk about when we're not there to witness?" asked Penny.

"Apocalypses, procreation, you, Leonard at one point, Batman mostly," Kate stated. She looked at Penny. "I like him…a lot."

"Ah, well, I don't know what to tell you, Kate. Sheldon's a wack-a-doodle. He's predictable but with relationships, he calls sex 'coitus' and he refers to desire as 'base urges'. I don't know what to tell you as far as advice is concerned."

Kate sighed. She looked at Penny with a smile.

"Thank you for this girl talk, Penny."

"No problem," said Penny. "I do find one thing odd but rather worth telling."

Kate's ears perked up as though a cat's ears would perk upright when hearing a strange noise or something lurking in the bushes. Her eyes became bright with curiosity and Penny smiled mischievously.

"What?" said Kate, "What's worth telling?"

"Sheldon acts unlike Sheldon when he's drunk; I've seen him sing something from Fiddler on the Roof, and even take his pants off in front of a lot of people," said Penny. She shrugged when Kate stared at her (clearly appalled by the idea of slipping something into Sheldon's drink). "I don't know what else to do. You could possibly dress up as Harley Quinn or Batwoman or whatever and tell him he's Batman."

"Batgirl, Catwoman," corrected Kate.

"Whatever—guys like him go for that," said Penny. "Or dress up in a Princess Leila outfit, that seems to jive any guy, even the dumb guys in gyms I meet."

"I'm not dressing up in a gold bikini," Kate returned. "I plan to take things slow with Sheldon. I feel like if I arrive in his bedroom half-naked, he might take offense to that and run away."

Penny nodded.

"I could see him doing that," said Penny.

There was a pause.

"Have you found your car yet?" asked Penny.

"No," said Kate. "I have however taken liberty in procuring the keys to my apartment."

"How did you do that?"

"I changed the lock."

"Smart move," Penny commented. "So you're moving back in the apartment?"

"No," said Kate.

"No?"

"I may have spent two days in the apartment dealing with Sheldon's antics but to be quite honest, I don't mind half of the things he does," said Kate.

Penny shook her head.

"You're crazier than Leonard," said Penny. "I think you've been watching too many Batman episodes, starring Joker and Dr. Strange, or whatever they are."

"You're right," said Kate. "Although I wouldn't reject the idea of being Joker. On a contrary to most, people believe he's insane but altogether, he's particularly brilliant. It's his criminal side that no one likes."

"So you're the Harley Quinn and Sheldon's the Joker," said Penny, smiling.

"Why do you say I'm Harley Quinn?"

"Because, Kate, Leonard's said that Sheldon is one lab experiment from being a mastermind criminal. I figure the way you've told me you feel about him, you'd go along with any criminal antics he pulls out his sleeve," said Penny.

"Or squirts out of his acidic flower," Kate noted.

Penny shook her head.

"Have you told Sheldon?" asked Penny.

"I'd talk to Leonard before telling Sheldon I'm here to stay. For all I know, he may not want me to be his permanent roommate," Kate remarked.

"I don't care what Sheldon wants. Since you took Leonard's bedroom and Leonard's lived with me, I hardly see Sheldon or hear his rants." Penny said. She considered something and added, "Actually, from what I see, Sheldon only spends his time with you anymore, since Howard and Raj come over here to talk to Leonard."

Kate smiled. Sheldon spent more time with her than his friends? Well, of course he did; he preferred his home than Penny's messy place. But if he didn't want to be with her, he could just tell her to get out, right?

_You're thinking about this way too hard, Kate._

_Yeah, I guess I am._

_Perhaps you can talk to him about your feelings?_

_Yeah, and then I can kiss him on the sofa._

_Why not?_

_He won't go for that; we're talking about Sheldon, here._

_He's a human being. He has to feel his own 'baser urges' too. _

Kate made a small 'hmm'. Her mind did have a point, although one of the voices was a little off. But the voice that declared that Sheldon _was _a human being, or rather _is_, wasn't wrong. Somewhere in his anatomy was a Sheldon Cooper that could be aroused, even if it was deep in there…really, _really _deep. Kate was a medical surgeon; she could definitely figure something out.

"Kate?"

"Huh?"

"You're muttering something under your breath and I know you're not talking to me," Penny stated, looking at Kate with an expression of great alarm and disturbance.

"Sorry; I talk to myself," Kate replied.

"Does it help?"

"I suppose."

"So, did you wanna have more girl talk and watch Sex in the City, or…"

"Actually, Penny, I might go back and watch Star Trek with Sheldon." Kate said.

"Why?"

"Because I have a feeling that if I show interest in the things he enjoys then he'll become more interested in me," said Kate.

Penny nodded with consideration.

"Good luck, Kate," said Penny; she crossed her index and middle finger—both on each hand—and grinned excitedly at her.

Kate walked out of the apartment to see Leonard coming up the stairs.

"Hey, Leonard."

"Hi, Kate." Leonard returned.

Kate was about to pass but instead, she took his arm and he looked at her quizzically.

"I have to ask you something," said Kate.

"Sure, what is it?"

"How would you feel if I…permanently…moved in?" asked Kate lightly.

"Like you stay in the apartment and I stay with Penny?" asked Leonard.

"Yeah."

"I'd be fine with it," Leonard returned. "Living with Penny has been the best thing I've ever done in my life. I'm practically on a cloud."

"Okay."

"Why?"

"I'm thinking of just moving in," said Kate.

"Have you talked to Sheldon?"

"No," Kate returned.

"Good," said Leonard.

"Why is that good?"

"I thought maybe you and Sheldon had some diabolic plan in store if I said 'no'," said Leonard.

"Why would I have a diabolic plan to move you out of the apartment without consulting you first?" asked Kate.

"Because that would sound like something Sheldon would do." Leonard said.

"That still doesn't explain why I'd do it."

"You and Sheldon talk a lot; I figure you'd plan something with him. You're like his sidekick in a way," said Leonard.

Kate stared at him; how the hell did he come to that conclusion? She wasn't offended, but she was still curious as to how Leonard came to such a fast conclusion.

"Anyway," said Leonard. "Yeah, I don't mind." He smiled. "So uh what about your car, has anyone gotten any idea of where it is or what happened to it?"

"No," said Kate.

"So how did you get your keys?"

"I didn't." Kate returned. She pulled out a set of keys. "These are new. I changed the locks and had two new keys prepared, one for the emergency but these past two days have been fine, I figure why not try it a little longer. I just haven't told Sheldon the news."

"Do you need a witness?" asked Leonard.

"Why?"

"Because if you are to take permanent residence in the apartment, you'll end up having to sign a new Roommate Agreement for permanent residence rather than the roommate agreement you'd signed two days ago stating you were temporarily residing; it also includes me having to be drawn new papers, exfoliating me from the contract, making you the co-signatory of the contract, relieving me of any obligatory or legality."

Kate stared at him.

"That's very technical," Kate stated.

"Isn't it though? I won't miss it at all. Tell me when you tell him so I can move my stuff out of the room and apartment and bring it over here…oh wait, did you tell…"

"Yeah, I told Penny," said Kate.

"Okay, that's great." Leonard said. He hugged Kate suddenly. "I can't wait until we're neighbors!"

Kate smiled weakly and Leonard went into Penny's apartment. Kate was left staring; all this happened within one hour and she was just anticipating and dreading Sheldon's answer. Would he be excited that Kate would be his roommate? Would he like the idea of having a female roommate? Did he dread it? Kate bit her lip; her childhood habit was regularly occurring while staying in the apartment building, or even more so, near Sheldon.

She took a long deep inhalation then released it after a few seconds.

"Here it goes," she muttered. She touched the doorknob but her hand retreated back. God, what if he didn't like the agreement?

"It's okay," said Kate quietly. She bit her lip harder.

_What if he doesn't approve? What if he says 'no'? Do you expect him to say yes because you all have something in common? He'll have to sign up all that paperwork._

_What if he says yes?_

_You can't know that! _

_I can too, he likes you, don't worry. He'll be okay with it. Just tell him, don't ask him!_

_He'll freak out; he didn't expect a long-term roommate. Besides, you're a girl!_

_Oh that's rich! _

_It's true!_

_Well of course it's true! I know I am a girl. I have the girl parts to prove so._

_Then tell him the news. He'll like it. Don't you remember his initial reaction when you became his temporary roommate!_

_Of course, I remember, I have an eidetic memory!_

_No, you don't!_

_No, but that's what Sheldon would say._

"Shut up!" Kate snapped.

She licked her lips nervously. When she finally put her hand on the knob, she could feel her nerves jolting, up and down, left and right; it was as though her nervous system was being stretched across five-foot planks and strung like a harp. Kate opened the door and saw Sheldon at his computer; he was typing some type of email, probably work-related.

"Oh, good, Kate, you're back. I have something I want to talk to you about," said Sheldon. He turned in his rolling chair to her. "I was curious whether or not you would accept the idea of being my permanent house guest, or rather, my official roommate? As it clearly seems…"

Kate fainted on the floor. Sheldon looked at the unconscious body on the floor. He sighed.

"Well, that was rude." Sheldon uttered. He stood and went over to Kate's body. "It's never in the social convention to fall asleep when one is talking…" He looked at her more closely; yes, she had indeed fainted.

Sheldon straightened calmly and opened the front door, only to run over to the neighbors and knock three times, after each saying, "LEONARD AND PENNY!"

The door opened quickly.

"What?" Leonard exclaimed.

"It's Kate!" Sheldon responded just as loudly.

"What's wrong?" Penny asked.

"She's on the floor!" Sheldon returned; he ran from them and back into the apartment. Sheldon stood over Kate's lucid form and Penny and Leonard knelt beside her.

"What'd you do?" asked Leonard.

"Well, it's not what I did that might've caused her episode," said Sheldon pointedly. "What I said, on the other hand might've done something."

"What'd you say?" asked Penny, looking up at Sheldon.

"I didn't finish saying it but I was proposing to her the option of becoming my official roommate. We have enough in common and we go day-to-day easily, more easily than Leonard and I have; she has no qualms about my control over the thermostat and she's accepting to the idea of—"

"Hold on!" Penny said, interrupting him. "You said you wanted her to be your roommate?"

"Of course—you don't listen very well, do you, Penny?" Sheldon remarked.

"That's what Kate was about to ask you!" Penny said, pointing to him.

"Really?" Sheldon said.

"Yeah," said Leonard. "She was."

"She talked to you?" Penny asked Leonard.

"Yeah, right before I came inside the apartment," said Leonard.

"How strange; she spoke to me about twenty minutes ago."

"You mean before she talked to me?" Leonard remarked.

"I guess so," said Penny.

Sheldon looked at the two of them.

"Can someone please clarify something for me? What are you all talking about?" asked Sheldon, his voice on the edge as Kate was still unconscious.

Penny took a pillow from the couch and placed it gently under Kate's head. Sheldon looked slightly surprised at her knowledge of dealing with fainted persons.

"Kate was telling me that she was going to tell you her idea of being here permanently; she'd gotten her locks changed and had a different key now but wanted to be here," said Penny. "That's what she was coming over here for, to tell you."

"I guess she was in shock," Leonard said.

"Yeah," agreed Penny. "She was talking to herself a little before she walked out of my apartment; kind of creepy, now that I think about it."

Sheldon shook his head and said with a wagging finger, "Not at all, Penny; it's been proven that when a person speaks to him or herself that they are actually a great deal smarter and more intuitive than most people. Not only that but talking things aloud in the mind not only stimulates further reason and logic…"

"Sheldon, please, will you just keep silent for once?" asked Penny gently. "Actually, can you get me a cup of water of Kate?"

"As you wish," Sheldon replied quietly. He walked into the kitchen and retrieved a mug of water, room temperature. "You didn't specify as to the temperature."

"It'll be fine," Penny returned. She dipped the tip of her fingers in the water and sprinkled the droplets over Kate's face. When she stirred, Penny smiled.

Kate's eyes fluttered open.

"My head hurts," Kate muttered.

"I'd imagine so," said Sheldon, who was now kneeled between Leonard and Penny. "Your head hit the floor before I could tell you that I agree with your proposal that you take Leonard's place."

"Hey," said Leonard. He turned to Sheldon. "You didn't even bother asking about my opinion about that."

"No, I didn't, but evidently, Kate already has, so, quoting the adage, 'no harm, no foul'," said Sheldon easily. He smiled briefly. "But in any case, how do you feel about it, Leonard?"

"I'm fine with it—"

"See, no harm, no foul," Sheldon replied.

Kate looked up at Sheldon.

"Do you have an aspirin?"

"I would suggest something other than that," said Sheldon. "I have Midol, Ibuprofen, Advil, Sleep Tylenol, and other forms of over-the-counter painkillers. Aspirin is the last I ever take, considering it's a blood thinner and in my perspective, our blood is thin as it can possibly become thinned."

Kate smiled.

"I don't care as long as it gets rid of this headache," said Kate. She sat up, and touched the palm of her right hand to her forehead. Leonard touched her back and Penny smiled sympathetically.

"I'll get started on the paperwork," said Sheldon happily, as he handed Kate two small round shaped pills. She took them from his hand and popped them back, dry swallowing.

"Paperwork?" Penny inquired.

"Of course," said Sheldon. "Kate only signed a Temporary Roommate Agreement contract. She now must sign a Roommate Agreement, which indicates that the Temporary Roommate agreement is now nullified as she sustains a permanent residence. Leonard, I'll need you to sign the contract as well; you'll be the witness, or Penny, if you prefer."

Sheldon glanced at Kate.

"However, I'll allow you time to regain your consciousness. The Agreement would be invalid if you were to sign your name while lacking an alert state," said Sheldon.

"I'm fine, Sheldon."

"I disagree; until I feel you are most alert and of a stable mind, only then will you sign. I'm not taking any chances." Sheldon returned. He went back to typing on his computer, although minimizing one window and pulling up a standard issue of the original Roommate Agreement, which he deleted, and pulled up the newly amended one he'd written out with Leonard (after Priya had ripped apart his previous one).

Leonard and Penny supported Kate to her feet and placed her on the couch.

"I don't know why I fainted," said Kate. "I've never fainted before."

"Fainting occurs when not enough oxygen is carried to the brain," Sheldon voiced from the computer.

"I know how fainting occurs," said Kate smoothly. "I'm an MMMS, PhD and MD."

"Then you should be more literate of your meaning," said Sheldon. He glanced behind his shoulder to look at Kate. "This is precisely why I'm waiting for you to gain full self-awareness before signing anything."

Kate shook her head. What did she get herself into?


	16. The Joker's Wild

Chapter Sixteen: The Joker's Wild

**Author's Note: I hope everyone is enjoying the story. I'm going to breaking the fourth wall as the Fan fiction proceeds, but I intend to keep Sheldon in character as much as possible **** as always, read and review, but enjoy as well. Thank you! 3**

Sheldon allowed sufficient time for Kate to recover. He didn't much care that her head rested on the arm that was adjacent to his spot on the couch but as he was currently in his desk chair, typing up the roommate agreement (and Kate was still recovering from her fainting episode), he'd given her mental permission to occupy his spot with her head. Her legs were bent at the knee as her hands were placed on top of each other mid-way of her abdomen. Sheldon briefly glanced behind his shoulder to see that she was sleeping. He was somewhat grateful that even though she _did _occupy his spot, she was occupying it quietly.

Kate's breathing was quiet and deep; her chest rose and fell in rhythmic slow rise and falls. She didn't snore or talk in her sleep, although Sheldon would twitch when he heard her utter a subconscious and illiterate word or two. Not talking in her sleep as it never occurred so frequently, but Sheldon was sure she was having some kind of a dream.

Her most recent utterance which happened a minute ago was "mmm." It'd been uttered pleasantly, not unlike someone eating a delicious dish of food at a five-star restaurant. Sheldon glanced her way when he heard it again five minutes later.

Sheldon saw her stir, her body shifted so she laid on her left side, giving him a view of her facial features, which seemed relaxed; her eyes were closed but he could tell she was experiencing definite REM sleep; good for her; the last couple of days, she'd been awfully testy.

He continued typing up the new Roommate Agreement. As Leonard was male, the second original copy was a few marks off as being perfect. He needed to include a few subclauses as she was a woman. He didn't want men entering his apartment and leaving regularly like the ones that Penny had coming and going—that was before Leonard, of course, but Sheldon didn't like the odds. Kate fit the stereotype that Howard called 'hot' and if this 'hot' roommate of his bore any similarity to Penny, Sheldon had no standing with strangers coming in and pulling out of the apartment—no sexual pun intended.

There was a knock on the door, to which Sheldon glanced and Kate stirred again. Sheldon glanced at his computer, remembering his spot, and then tread towards the door, opening it after seeing it was Howard Wolowitz and Rajesh Koothrappali.

Sheldon glanced at his watch and saw that it was bordering eight o'clock at night; Kate had been asleep for nearly three hours, and it'd taken him that long to elongate the agreement, and to perfect its requirements.

"Hello, Howard. Hello, Raj," Sheldon said, smiling. "How can I help you?"

"Where's Leonard?" asked Howard.

"He's with Penny," Sheldon said, eyeing the door behind them. "He's always with Penny."

"Well, he could be here," Howard pointed out.

"No longer," Sheldon replied, a gentle smiling playing on his lips.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Raj asked.

"Kate's here," Sheldon said. Immediately, Raj became a frightened bunny.

"So she's here," Howard said.

"My apologies, I misspoke," Sheldon stated smoothly. "Dr. Kate Burns is here to stay; she's going to sign the Roommate Agreement whenever she regains consciousness."

"_Regains _consciousness?" Howard repeated. He burrowed past Sheldon, who didn't try too hard to stop him. Sheldon figured that if Howard stood right over Kate and woke her up, the past action would repeat: Howard would be momentarily paralyzed after being struck in the sack, and then Kate would be angry.

Howard seemed to learn from his past events though as he only stared at the sleeping Kate, who moaned again in her sleep.

"Hold on," said Howard, turning to Sheldon. "I watched her sign the Roommate Agreement; why does she have to sign another one?"

"Correction, Wolowitz; you watched her sign _a _roommate agreement, the Temporary Roommate Agreement to be more specific. The contract she will be ready to sign is _the _Roommate Agreement which signifies her to be the co-signatory of this apartment," said Sheldon.

Howard still stared at him as though this explained nothing. Sheldon sighed; apparently, he'd not made it obvious enough for the man who held only a masters degree.

"Alright," said Sheldon slowly. "Apparently, I have to be frank, but I'll have you be informed that you've ruined the initial surprise for me. Kate is going to be my roommate, permanently, might I add, and Leonard will be moving in with Penny across the hall."

"Leonard's moving in with Penny?" Howard exclaimed.

To this, Kate stirred, moving to her back—Howard, Sheldon and Raj glanced at her suddenly and stood particularly still until Kate returned back to her deep sleep. Sheldon looked at Howard.

"To your exclamation, yes, Leonard is moving in with Penny. Technically, it's not official, but as Leonard was more than eager to do so—which I hardly understand—he's been in and out of this apartment in the past two hours retrieving his belongings," said Sheldon, glancing at Kate.

Howard shook his head.

"So what happened to Kate's apartment?" asked Howard. "Did they find the car? And the keys?"

"Of course not," said Sheldon. He shook his head. "I had no belief in the police of Pasadena, California. The efforts taken to find the robbers that'd taken our first television and laptops were never put to justice. The hacker that hacked into my World of Warcraft account wasn't brought to justice either though I still give Penny full credit for forcing her Nebraskan, corn-fed hand on the twerp."

Raj looked confused and hissed into Howard's ear; he flinched but revealed what Raj had whispered.

"Yeah, why isn't Kate in her apartment?"

"I've not already told you?" asked Sheldon. "My words aren't really cryptic." He shook his head. "Kate changed the lock on her apartment door but after doing so, she'd come to the same discovery that I'd found, except I never explained my epiphany; during, she fainted on the floor, apparently shocked that her brilliant realization was similar to my own."

Raj and Howard exchanged faces that were a combination of the significant eye-roll and shake of the heads.

"So she's staying here for good?" asked Howard.

Sheldon sighed, saying, "I believe this conversation has become a looped circle. Meeting's adjourned." He retreated back to his computer, sitting in the desk chair.

"Hold on, so what's happened to Kate's car?" asked Howard. "How's she gonna drive you to work and the comic book store when she has no car?"

Sheldon looked at Howard.

"I have an elegant solution to that," said Sheldon.

"Which is?"

"I'll just buy her another one," said Sheldon.

Raj dropped his jaw and Howard stared at him with wide eyes.

"You can't possibly believe that Kate would accept something like that; for Christ's sake, you only met her two days ago!"

"Yes," said Sheldon. "And she's my mode of transportation. And correction, we met online 6 months ago, and I've been her friend on MySpace and Twitter; we're Facebook friends; that must account for something."

Howard shook his head, stating, "Not if you're buying the girl a car."

Sheldon turned in his rolling chair.

"I don't see the problem," said Sheldon.

"Don't you think it's a big gift to give?"

"It's not a gift," Sheldon replied factitiously. "It's a solution. Kate is my transportation. She needs a car. She doesn't have one, and I'll provide her one."

"Still…" Howard said.

Raj whispered again to Howard, who nodded in agreement.

"Raj is right, Sheldon; Kate won't accept it; she's too damn stubborn."

Sheldon turned to him again and sighed exasperatedly.

"Kate will accept it; she'll have _no_ other option than to do so. And I agree with Raj as well; she is very stubborn. It's like she _always_ has to have her way," Sheldon stated; he turned his attention to the computer once more while Raj and Howard glanced at each other knowingly.

Sheldon printed off the new roommate agreement. Howard and Raj glanced at Kate who uttered a soft, but audible word which made Sheldon and the other two men glance at her curiously. She'd uttered a word in Klingon but as the three males understood the language perfectly, she'd practically murmured in English the word, "Sex."

"That's weird," said Sheldon slowly.

"Which disturbance are you referring to?" asked Howard quietly.

"The most obvious one," said Sheldon. "The word itself."

"Not because it was muttered in Klingon?" asked Howard.

"Kate is a highly evolved creature like me, Howard, although I doubt sometimes her evolution is the exact replication. It's not surprising to me that she can speak Klingon—anyone can."

"That's not true," said Howard. "Only people like us can speak it; plus, people like her aren't into Star Trek? How the hell can she speak it so fluently?"

Sheldon glanced at him as though this was a stupid question.

"That's hardly relevant," he said. "Does it ever occur to you that maybe she learned to speak it because it was a language and her ambitious nature caused that curiosity to learn, as people do with Mandarin, Chinese, Spanish, English, French…"

"Okay, I get it!" Howard snapped.

Sheldon raised his eyebrows to him; that outburst was completely unnecessary.

"I wonder what it sounds like to hear a girl speak Elvish," said Howard thoughtfully.

Raj cupped his hand over Howard's ear and Howard eased away from him, agreeing completely with what he said.

"I know, right? It'd totally sound sexy," Howard said.

Sheldon gave the two an odd look as he normally did when they referred to anything as sexy, hot, or anything appealing to sexual arousal and/or attraction. Sheldon had no interest in it, and when he felt it, he ignored it.

Kate turned again, which caught Sheldon, Raj, and Howard's eyes to her. She lied on her back, her shirt rising up slowly. Sheldon glanced at her back, not because it was skin so flawless and milky flesh exposed. There was something written on it, in the ink that was similar to Penny's tattoo on her right buttock, which he'd only admittedly seen when he rescued her the day she'd dislocated her shoulder.

Apparently, the other two saw it as well as they even dared to walk to the couch and glance at it. Damning his own curious nature, Sheldon stood from his chair and walked over, standing behind the couch as Howard even went further to pull her shirt higher to her mid-back. There was a distinct tattoo: there three hearts joined side by side, and a banner that artistically came from behind the shapely hearts to sweep the front; the words were inscribed with a _comic san _print. These were the words that made Howard and Raj stare at her lower back, but Sheldon to become amazed.

"Fascinating," he whispered.

The other two glanced at Sheldon, surprised by his utterance. They were equally surprised. The words that read across the banner-like stroke were two words: "Joker's Wild".

"So," said Howard quietly. "I guess she does have an unhealthy obsession with the Batman _and _its arch-nemesis."

Sheldon slightly smiled. Kate was definitely a DC fan, one of the things he enjoyed talking to her about. That definitely explained her reference to herself as Harley Quinn or Catwoman.

"Fascinating," Sheldon whispered again.


	17. The Joker-Harley Fascination

Chapter Seventeen: The Joker-Harley Fascination

Kate awoke, her head feeling quite numb but not as extensively painful as it had been before she'd taken the Advil and fallen asleep on the couch. She opened her eyes, looked around; no one was in the apartment, to her knowledge. She had noticed that Sheldon's computer, which sat on his desk, was still on. So she wasn't alone at least.

She moved to the middle cushion, rubbing her eyes and running a hand through her hair.

"Sheldon?" she called. Her eyes re-adjusted to the light, the pupils reducing in size. Her sleep had been more than satisfactory. She felt refreshed, but for the life of her, she could not remember anything about it.

"Sheldon?" she called again. She came to stand on her feet. She received no response. Thirsty suddenly, Kate walked to the kitchen, fixing her posture as she did. Her shirt seemed twisted around her body; she lowered her shirt, shifted her shoulders so she felt the pop in her neck, and then raised her arms so she stretched those ligaments as well.

Kate filled a glass of water and drank two refills before sighing deeply, more refreshed.

"Oh good," said Sheldon, "You're up."

Kate turned to see him coming out of the hallway with a rather large stack of papers. He was in black-n-white plaid pajamas, wearing underneath a white shirt. He beamed as he sat on the couch in his designated spot, and gestured to the armchair adjacent to him for her to take a seat as well.

Kate carried the glass of water with her and sat in the armchair.

"Did you have a pleasant sleep? I took notice earlier that you had some REM."

"I do feel refreshed," noted Kate. "Thanks for noticing."

"It was a simple observation," Sheldon returned. He placed the stack of papers in front of her. "This is the official Roommate Agreement; I'm going with the impression that you fully alert and sound of mind? I don't want a repeat of the earlier events."

"I'm fine, Sheldon."

"You say that a lot of but it's awfully deceiving at times," Sheldon pointed out. He handed her a pen. "I trust you can recognize the subtext beneath the context; it's written to your educational prowess."

"Thank you," said Kate. She took the pre-offered pen.

"The contract is rather technical but I don't doubt your understanding of the vocabulary or the power that binds within it. Just sign where it says 'co-signatory, I've already signed where I must and have dated it." Sheldon said. He smiled. "Welcome aboard, and I'm going to bed."

Kate watched him stand. He looked down at her.

"Before I leave, I'll be generous in asking if you have any questions for me," said Sheldon.

"No, I think we're crystal clear."

"You think?"

"We are," said Kate smoothly. She felt too refreshed to argue.

"That's good to hear," said Sheldon. He smiled. "Good night, Kate."

"Good night, Sheldon."

He smiled at her again and then headed off to his bedroom. He stopped shortly and came back, handing her a key.

"What is this?" Kate inquired.

"I'm so glad you asked," Sheldon said, clearly indulged. He sat down in his spot once more. "This is the emergency key to the apartment; Leonard returned it, Penny has one of her own as well. Should my key become misplaced or we are forever trapped outside of the apartment, you have your key to rescue me."

"And what if my key is lost?" asked Kate.

"Then hopefully our keys will not be simultaneously misplaced, unless you fancy yourself a clever locksmith, then, in that case, we have nothing to worry about," said Sheldon coolly.

Kate nodded her head; simple enough.

He gave her another smile and bid his good-bye and she did the same. Kate heard his door close and then there was silence. She went through her phone and saw that she had an email sent to her; her car had been found and scraped to metal. The police had arrested the man that'd scraped her car, but not the perpetrator that'd stolen the car in the first place.

"Good lord," Kate muttered, shaking her head. Would she press charges? Definitely, but not against the sixteen year old boy that scraped her car illegally. She wanted the robber that took her car.

The next morning was a mixture of muddled mess. Kate slept a little more but her sleep eluded for the very fact that she no longer had a car. However, during breakfast, talking over a bowl of Bran Flakes for Kate and oatmeal for Sheldon, Kate was shocked when Sheldon told her what he was up to last night.

"You're going to buy me a car?" Kate stated slowly, her eyes widening into surprise and disbelief.

"Why is that so hard for people to understand?" asked Sheldon.

"Why is it so hard?" Kate repeated. "Cars are not inexpensive, Sheldon; they cost a lot of money. You get a good one that works for 2,000 dollars, sometimes even more!"

"It's a solution, Kate. Besides, money isn't important to me. I have money. It's getting to work on time every day, that's priority," Sheldon stated. He took in a spoonful of oatmeal without any more reprecussions. Kate felt otherwise.

"It's a lot, Sheldon," Kate stated. "If anyone's getting me a car, it's going to be me."

Sheldon stopped for a moment and looked at her with sudden realization.

"I never thought about that," Sheldon stated. "Well,"—he ate the last of his oatmeal—"if you need financial assistance, I'm here for you."

"That's sweet," said Kate, who was still having a hard time getting over the shock. She smiled. "I understand the generosity, though. Your intentions were sweet."

"Generosity?" Sheldon said, puzzled. "I wasn't concerned about your transportation; I was more concerned about mine. If you can't get to work, I certainly can't."

"We'd take the bus," Kate stated.

Sheldon stared at her, his eyes narrowing.

"No," he said. "I'm not taking a bus. I already had to throw away one pair of bus pants."

"Bus pants?"

"They're pants I wear on the bus; they go over my pants."

"Ah," Kate uttered. She took a mouthful of cereal and thought for a moment. "I can borrow Leonard's car until I get one of my own."

"What if I bought a car and you drove it?" Sheldon offered.

"You'd have to insure it in your name, Sheldon."

"I could," said Sheldon. "It's not a problem."

"You'd have to drive it."

"I wouldn't have to," Sheldon stated. "You would."

"I'm not driving a car that is insured in your name," Kate remarked. "If something happens to it, you're responsible; I don't want that kind burden on my shoulders."

Sheldon sighed.

"Howard's right; you are stubborn," Sheldon said. He stood and placed his empty bowl in the dishwasher.

"Me?" Kate retorted coldly. "What about you?"

"I admit that I'm stubborn," Sheldon said. He turned to her. "It's you that seems unaware."

Kate rolled her eyes.

"You're saying I'm stubborn for not wanting to drive a car that's insured in your name? Look, it's simple. I'm just going to drive Leonard's car and while I'm doing that, I'll go car shopping."

"How is that different than my purchasing a vehicle?"

"I…I…Sheldon, I don't know; it's just different," said Kate impatiently. "Let me take care of it, okay?"

"Fine, fine, as you wish," Sheldon replied. He shrugged. "I still can't see why you argue with me all the time."

"I don't argue with you all the time," Kate said coolly.

Sheldon glanced at her blankly.

"What are we doing now?" he asked.

"Arguing—but that's not the point. The point _is _that I've been fairly agreeable with you. I'll agree to really anything but I'm not letting you buy me another car." Kate said. She stood and put her bowl in the dishwasher as well.

"Fine," said Sheldon. "If that's what you want then I'll let you have the leeway on this."

"You'll _let _me?" Kate responded, emphasizing with an irate tone.

"Yes, I'll let you," said Sheldon. "Per the roommate agreement, all ties and settlements will be settled by me."

"That's not in the agreement," Kate stated.

Sheldon looked at her for a moment before walking into his bedroom and coming out with the bound notebook of the printed official agreement, signed by she and Sheldon. He flipped the book and pointed to the sentence where it said: "Being primary owner of apartment 4A, all ties and settlements shall be settled by Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D."

Kate frowned.

"Ah, so it is," Kate stated.

"You know me to be a very smart man, Kate. If I was wrong, do you think I would know it?" said Sheldon smugly. "I wrote the contract myself and since I have an eidetic memory, would I not remember it?"

Kate sighed.

"I still refuse you buying me a car."

"And as said before, I granted you the leeway," said Sheldon. "Be happy about it because it's a rare occurrence. However, after considering the present argument, I can agree that I might have been led to irrationality."

"So you're saying you were wrong," Kate pointed out.

"No; I'm saying you were right."

"And by inference, that would mean you were wrong," Kate replied.

"True, but I never said it," said Sheldon.

Kate sighed. She licked her lips.

"May I ask you a question?" Sheldon said smoothly.

"Go on," said Kate quietly.

"Why do you have a tattoo of 'Joker's Wild' etched on the lumbar section of your backside?"

Kate stared at him, eyes wide.

"How did you see that?"

"You were asleep and your shirt rose up," Sheldon explained. "Now you."

"I what?"

"I've answered your question," said Sheldon, sitting in spot on the couch. "Now you can answer mine." He crossed his right leg over the left by the knee and clasped his hands together on his abdomen.

Kate looked at him.

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response, Sheldon," returned Kate.

"You know, it's a wonder how you and Penny will have men and women etch ink into your anatomy, considering the diseases one can receive through needle sticks," said Sheldon.

"Penny has one too?"

"On her right buttock," said Sheldon. "It's 'soup' in Chinese; she says it's 'Courage' but the similarity is off."

"How did you see her tattoo on her butt?" Kate inquired.

"Don't divert from the topic at hand, Kate," Sheldon remarked coolly.

"Fine," said Kate. "Why did you look at my back?"

"I was not the only one," Sheldon replied defensively. "Raj and Howard saw as well.

Kate was immediately inflamed.

"HOWARD SAW MY BACK?" she shrieked. "Why the hell was he here for?"

"He was looking for Leonard," Sheldon replied. "Being his close acquaintance, I granted him entry to the apartment." He looked at Kate formidably. "Why would it bother you more for him to see your tattoo than me?"

Kate's face flushed red.

"I-I—you know what, you shouldn't have even looked, Sheldon."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows.

"That brings me to another question; why would you receive a tattoo like that if you didn't want someone to see it? From my understanding, the point of receiving needle-stuck art on one's body is to reveal some self-expression," Sheldon said. "According to my mother, it shows the third-world demon in people."

Kate crossed her arms.

"I'm not a third-world demon."

"I didn't think you were," Sheldon said. "Then again, demons are a crafty bunch from what my mother's told me in stories. You'd imagine the things they can talk people into doing."

Kate sat in the armchair adjacent to him.

"So," said Sheldon calmly. "Why do you have 'Joker's Wild' imprinted on your back? Granted, it does explain a lot of your questions we'd discussed about the Joker, Harley Quinn, Batman, and Catwoman."

Kate looked at Sheldon with the utmost mortification.

"Sheldon, I'm going to ask you to keep a secret."

Sheldon's eyes widened.

"I'm not a fan of keeping secrets; I have a hard time doing so."

"It's why I told you I'm going to tell you a secret before I did so," said Kate coolly. "Think of it is top-confidentiality, something no one but between you and I will ever know."

Sheldon considered the promises that he had to keep, all of which were eventually exposed to even the FBI investigator. He exhaled his breath that he'd taken in when Kate said she'd be telling him a secret. He'd held onto it that long it was almost a relief to be rid of the inhaled breath. Sheldon cared not for the reason why Kate had gotten a joker-related remark on her backside. Or at least, he didn't think he did. So why the questionnaire? Why was there a constant nagging of needing to know WHY?

"Very well," said Sheldon. He leaned forward. "Tell me."

Kate smiled secretively.

"I have a tattoo of the Joker's Wild on my backside because when I was younger, I harbored an amorous obsession with him. It still continues today," said Kate. "To prove that I was his number one worshipper, I got the tattoo on my backside. That's why."

"So," said Sheldon, "that's the dark secret behind the tattoo?"

"Yes. I was talking to Penny last night," Kate said smoothly. "She compared you and I to Harley Quinn and the Joker, coincidentally."

"How am I like the Joker? Don't get me wrong; I'm flattered, I just don't see it," said Sheldon.

Kate bit her lip. God, why did that habit come to be whenever she was ready to expose something close to her? Or whenever she spoke to Sheldon? It was like a reaction she could not stop.

"She said that Leonard said you were one lab experiment from being a criminal mastermind," said Kate. "One discussion led to another and I compared Joker's insanity to the lack of understanding by the Gothamites that the Joker was not completely insane, only his criminality; his mind is brilliant. Like yours," said Kate quietly.

Sheldon grinned.

"You're right of course," said Sheldon. "I do fancy myself a mastermind."

"Mmm," Kate uttered. She smiled.

Sheldon glanced at her.

"So then in what universe would you be Harley Quinn?"

Kate rolled her eyes as though the idea was, too, amusing.

"Penny said I'd be your right-hand hench wench," said Kate smoothly.

"Fascinating," said Sheldon. He thought for a moment and turned to Kate. "She may be onto something."

"Sheldon, I'm not going to be a Harlequinn if that's what your intending, and you're not going to be a Clown Prince of Crime," Kate stated.

"Drat!" Sheldon said, looking at the floor.

"Nice idea though," Kate stated.

"Yes, very amusing," Sheldon said. He smiled. Kate did too.


	18. The Dark Confidentiality

Chapter Eighteen: The Dark Confidentiality

Kate was talking on the phone when Sheldon awoke the next morning. He found Kate sitting on one of the stools in the kitchen, speaking adamantly to someone, although it didn't register to whom. Sheldon yawned quietly in the background and made himself a bowl of cereal. Entering the apartment was Leonard, who was back to move more of his belongings from the bedroom to Penny's apartment. Sheldon and Leonard greeted each other with a nod and a 'hello', but kept their register low so Kate continued talking on the phone. Steadily, her tone became increasingly agitated.

Sheldon made sure to eat his cereal on the opposite side of the table side so as to not be wrought with distress if she decided to rip the kitchen apart in fourths. When Sheldon heard Kate address her phone, Sheldon figured it was an argument between different opinions.

Kate looked up at the ceiling in derisive exhaustion, as though she'd heard whatever conversation she was having for the hundredth time.

"Mom, I know I said I'd come live with you if things didn't work out," muttered Kate. She put two fingers on each side of the bridge of her nose, attempting to maintain some form of patience.

"No," said Kate. "No, I'm not coming back—yes, my car was stolen but…no, they found it all right." Kate stood and walked in a complete circle, her form of pacing. Sheldon watched her with vague interest.

"Mom, it is irreparable. It's all scraps." Kate stated.

Sheldon shook his head. The underbelly of Pasadena was sometimes still too hard to face or understand. Even he, Sheldon Cooper, had seen the underbelly and he still had a hard time figuring out that the world was a ghastly place to be living in; Penny's jokes to him about leaving with the Mother Ship was almost too good to be true.

"No, they took the keys as well," Kate was saying. She switched the phone to her other ear. "I'm staying with a friend…no, he's a doctor…not that kind of doctor." Kate suddenly scoffed, her tone remarking sarcasm as she said, "he's a theoretical physicist—it _is _a real job!"

Sheldon stared at her incredulously. Was Kate's mother saying that Sheldon possessed a non-existent job? How shrewd!

"Mom, I'm safe and sound; he's a good friend and I'm happy here…Mom…look I gotta go," said Kate; she looked more than happy to get off the phone.

Sheldon watched Kate make up some lucid excuse and she was quick to hang up. Kate joined Sheldon at the table.

"Sorry you had to hear that," Kate muttered. "Don't get me wrong; I love my mother. She becomes too invasive."

"She's not unlike many mothers," said Sheldon factually. "Howard's mother calls him to check on his bowl movement regularity and Bernadette's lays out her clothes every morning. As for mine, I maintain a relationship with my mother via telephone." Sheldon took a bite of his cereal and gulped it after a few chews. He saw Kate's expression become worried, it was one that regularly visited his facial features.

"Kate, I'm not an expert on reading emotions or facial expressions but I would hazard a guess that you're either ill or worried."

"I'm worried," Kate replied.

"I was so close, I don't know why I hedged," Sheldon said, looking a little down about himself. He second-guessed himself; he never had to though, so why did he feel the need to do that when he socialized?

Kate took the seat of the last stool, looking at Sheldon.

"My mother worries, therefore, I worry," Kate replied. "She's worried that I'm not making it in the world, being ambitious and whatnot."

Sheldon considered her problem momentarily before answering. It didn't take him long; he turned to her, full body.

"Kate, I've communicated with you for the past half of a year and I've met you only a week, and in that week, I've practically lived with you. To say you're ill-prepared in the world of havoc and anarchy would be saying I'm not an expert in my field, which would be not only inaccurate but in other meanings of the word. Secondly"—Sheldon stood and put his bowl in the dishwasher as he spoke—"you've managed to hold some form of restraint and calm despite the calamity of your car being hijacked and inadvertently your apartment.

"And although one has been claimed and the other remains a pile left for the dogs to urinate on while they visit the Junkyard of Pasadena, I still admire your ability to refrain from dispelling your problems onto me."

Kate gazed at him as he sat back down on the stool beside her. He placed his left arm on the table, his other laid on his leg.

"To say your mother is worried you're not making it in the world, therefore, would be inconclusive." Sheldon finished.

"That's sweet," said Kate.

"I don't know about _that_," Sheldon returned, his voice going slightly lower in tone than usual towards the ending. "The truth is based on fact and facts are merely statements, neither intended to be—and in my experience, hardly ever—sweet. But if this has somehow helped comfort you in your narcissistic prattle of complaints and emotional turmoil, then you're welcome."

He stood. As Kate no longer seemed overwhelmed with worry or discomfort, Sheldon assumed the conversation was over and he'd somehow consoled her. He glanced at his watch.

"Eight o'clock," he announced. "Excuse me."

He then went to relieve himself in the bathroom. Kate smiled after him, a certain glow to her eyes that Sheldon never witnessed, nor if he did would he ever understand or recognize it.

The next hour was filled with talk and conversation. All of them were having dinner: Bernadette, Amy, Stuart, Sheldon, Raj, Leonard, Penny, Howard, and Kate. While Kate managed to converse easily with Penny, her occasional social awkwardness became quite clear to her when she tried attempting conversation with Amy. Knowing the tid bit Penny had told Kate, she couldn't get the mental image of Amy and Sheldon kissing in the backseat of a car, even if the action never came to be.

Raj and Howard talked about the new Star Trek movie, to which Sheldon argued was horrible (Raj had brought his flask of alcohol/Night Quill). Bernadette and Amy immersed themselves in the news that Leonard and Penny were now officially moved in—minus Leonard's bed, which Kate was still using until she moved her stuff as well. Leonard and Stuart talked about Stuart's relationship with Amy, which left Sheldon and Kate quiet.

Kate had reclined to sit in Sheldon's desk chair as the opening seats that were normally vacant were currently occupied. Sheldon sat in his spot, of course. Leonard and Stuart took the stools in the kitchen (pulled them into the living room for more gathered conversation). Amy and Bernadette occupied the cushions beside Sheldon while Penny sat in between the cushions, making four on the couch rather than three, to Sheldon's discomfort. Raj was on the floor, sitting on a pillow, and Kate was in the desk chair.

It was also Chinese food day so there were numerous amounts of it on the coffee table which Penny had adverted to take here and there, willy nilly.

Kate glanced at Sheldon. Since his stated observation that he admired Kate's clear head about her chaos, she had obtained some frame and peace of mind. Still, it wasn't that much anarchy when she thought of it. She no longer lived in her apartment, minus the fact she still needed to vacate the premises and move her belongings. She was lacking a vehicle, for it'd been torn into shreds by a nice little destruction crew and sold for its parts. She'd been using Leonard's car but even that was getting old and tiring.

She was starting to wonder if taking Sheldon's idea of buying a car was worth it. Kate didn't want to owe him; things would get weird, and they were weird already. Kate would notice certain things about Sheldon that, although she'd noticed them before, her observations of him had increased tenfold.

Smallest of things drove her crazy: the way he walked, the way he sat, the way he spoke—his pronunciation of words, explanations of small trivial facts—and when he spoke with the passion of science or his comic book collection or of his achievements, Kate wanted him the most. But the utmost oddest thing was when one of the friends in the group teased him or started a bicker with him, and he responded intelligently to their challenges.

Kate's mind was shifting. Even _thinking _about Sheldon made her fingers numb and her ears hot. She suddenly felt self-conscious; she crossed her right leg over the left, and sat up straighter; it wasn't as though Sheldon would notice. She'd already figured that one out; he didn't respond to physical attraction as much as she did, or really anyone. He realized attraction of the mind before body.

But what had happened at the theater the first time they met? Kate had sworn he had become quite uncomfortable in _that _kind of way when she'd revealed more of her top half to him after taking off the jacket. Kate thought for a moment and come to the sad realization that it probably more likely she'd worn a Flash shirt, which indicated his interests as well. She frowned.

"Kate?"

Her name being said struck her out of the reverie so hard that she literally flinched.

"What?"

Bernadette smiled at her.

"I said 'I realized we've not spoken much'," said Bernadette; her voice was high-pitched: small and sweet, she was.

"Oh. Yeah, I've realized that too," Kate said quickly. She bit her lip.

She stood and felt nervous. Why were her hands getting sweaty? Why was her heart beating quickly? Her face was getting flushed—no, she wasn't flushed; she was blushing. She glanced at Sheldon, who was watching her with the same amount of curiosity as the others.

"Yeah," Penny said, snapping her fingers. "I've realized you two haven't spoken. Hey, I know what we should have! We should have a sleep over!"

"Penny," Sheldon chastised, "we're adults. Adults don't have sleepovers."

"Now hold on," Amy interjected. "You regularly have Howard, Raj, and Leonard joined you in a long night's worth of playing senseless video games. I believe that's a group of people partaking in an overnight's game of fun and bonding, which I believe is the definition of a sleepover, or at least, that's what I'd come to understand."

"Amy, video games are not senseless; they improve one's imagination and cognitive ability to strategize and relieve stress of day-to-day life," Sheldon stated in protest. He looked at her another second before adding, "if you contributed your mind to such tasks, perhaps you might have contributed more to the science journals than the potential discovery of a human brain."

"That's what I study, Sheldon," Amy retorted. "What else would I contribute?"

"Precisely," said Sheldon coolly. He gave her a smug frown before paying attention to his dinner.

"Alrighty," Howard said slowly, "we've definitely hit an awkward button." He looked around and raised his hand, saying, "Raise your hand if you feel like you're being hit in the crossfire!"

Raj held up his hand. Bernadette smacked Howard in the shoulder.

"Don't get in the middle of it," Bernadette responded not unlike Mrs. Wolowitz's voice.

"Just sayin'," Howard replied. He looked at Penny. "Am I invited to this sleepover?"

"As long as Bernadette stays," Penny said. "I'm not having a repeat episode after what happened a week ago."

"What happened?" Bernadette asked.

Penny glanced at Kate for reinforcement, who didn't mind to explain that when Howard had snuck into the room to get a comic book from Leonard's bedroom, he'd caught her offguard and she nearly beat him to death, and ripped off his balls. Kate didn't add the last part; Leonard had.

"Are you serious?" Raj exclaimed. He pointed at Howard and laughed loudly, "You got beat up by a girl!"

Howard frowned.

"Hey, I wasn't thinking at the time, okay?" He said quickly to Raj. He looked at Bernadette and said, "If I'd known Kate was in there, I wouldn't have even gone in the apartment!"

"How did you get into the apartment?" Kate asked.

"I gave him the key," Leonard said.

Sheldon looked immediately repulsed.

"For shame, Leonard, for shame," he said. He turned to Leonard completely, dinner and all. "If you were still part of the Roommate Agreement, that would have been a breach; you practically nullified it when you gave your key—which its purpose was to provide you entry and you alone—to Howard, thus, negating trust and loyalty to the contract." He glared at him. "I'm disappointed in you."

"Come on guys, that was a week ago!" Howard said aloud.

Kate glared at him.

"It may have been a week ago, but you and Raj ogling my backside was not even two days ago!"

To this, Raj and Howard glared at Sheldon, who returned to them a look of innocence. Bernadette and Penny stared at Raj and Howard; Leonard and Stuart were going 'OHHHH' in the typical 'that's cold' sentiment, while Stuart and Amy glanced at each other with curiosity.

"You did _what?" _Bernadette and Penny exclaimed.

Immediately, Howard lashed to Sheldon, "_Why did you tell Kate that!" _

"Call me Curious George," said Sheldon as though he couldn't see the problem. "I wanted to know why she had 'Joker's Wild' tattooed on her lower back. It was nagging at me; I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until I found out."

Stuart raised his eyebrows at Kate and said, "You have 'Joker's Wild' tattooed to your back? Why would Joker be wild?"

"When is he not?" Leonard responded.

"Joker isn't wild," returned Stuart, "he's insane."

"Same deal," Raj replied.

"So is not," Stuart argued.

"It's not '_Joker's _Wild_, _it's 'Joker's _Wild_'," Kate responded. She stood up. "It's a possessive statement, not one describing the noun."

"Are we getting a grammatical lesson, really?" Howard stated, glancing at Raj. "I'd be more concerned about having a secret expunged…speaking of secrets," he turned to Sheldon, "why the hell would you even ask her about it? You looked too, you know."

"I've already talked to her about it," said Sheldon. "It's not a secret to me."

"Of course it's not," Kate snapped at him. "I told it to you in confidence."

"It's not confidential if Raj and Howard know," Sheldon replied. "Besides, you only told me the meaning in confidence, not the presence of the tattoo itself."

Penny furrowed her eyebrows and said, "What _does _it mean, Kate?"

"That's not important," said Kate. She was starting to blush again.

"Well, it obviously means Kate has an obsession with the Joker," said Howard. He smiled at her. "Nailed it, didn't I?"

Bernadette looked at Kate.

"How come you have it on your lower back?"

"I'd like to weigh in," Amy said, smiling, looking to Bernadette beside her. "A tattoo on the lower back normally is referred to as a 'tramp stamp'. Obviously, that must mean something literal, otherwise why would it be called that."

"I'm not a tramp," Kate stated coolly.

"Then what's with the tattoo?" asked Leonard.

Kate glared at all of them.

"What the hell does it matter if I have a tattoo on my back? What does it matter if it means I'm a big fan of the Joker? Who cares, really? I mean who the hell really cares?" Kate said, her voice steadily rising.

Howard glanced between all of them and said hesitantly, "Well…we all kind of do."

"Yeah," Leonard added, "I kind of wanna know too."

"I am also curious," Amy said.

Kate had shown no sign of revealing the information; they one at a time turned to Sheldon. He glanced at all of them, realizing they were about to unleash hell.

"I'm not getting in the middle of this," Sheldon said, standing up. Penny took his shoulder and sat him back down.

"Come on, Sheldon, tell us."

"Yeah," said Raj. "We want to know."

"Tell us," Leonard urged.

"Yes," said Stuart. "We all want to know, come on!"

Sheldon shook his head fervently.

"No," he said, standing up. He glared at all of them. "Sheldon Cooper doesn't tell any secrets. In the past, yes, I've had a few come out but Kate and I are friends and Mrs. Mary Cooper raised no snitches. I've made a promise to keep confidential information strictly private and my word is practically Newtonian."

Sheldon seemed angry enough that he left the room, even with his dinner. Kate turned her eyes to them, who all seemed unaffected by his angry speech and they reverted to asking her about her tattoo.

Amy looked at Howard and Raj who seemed more than ready to burst with the desirous curiosity; Penny and Bernadette merely inquired and Stuart seemed more than eager to find out as well. She shook her head, and stood, standing beside Kate.

"Alright, we apparently have come to a stalemate," Amy announced, holding up her hands. "Kate's obviously decided to keep her secret,"—she smirked beside her to Kate—"as titillating as it sounds, but social paradigm clearly states that if she wishes to not divulge in her juicy gossip, then peer pressure is not the answer."

"Thank you, Amy," said Kate sweetly.

"You're welcome, and might I add that as interesting as your tattoo does sound, I too would want to know the meaning, but only when you're comfortable in telling me," said Amy. She grinned. "And the more important, I don't think it means you're a slut."

"Thanks," Kate returned, feeling a little uncomfortable but also satisfied at the same time.

The group died down in excitement and reverted to talking about the pleasantries. Meanwhile, Kate glanced at Sheldon's empty spot and remembered that he'd walked out of the room in distress. She sighed slowly, and walked to the direction in which he'd gone.

Kate stood in front of his door, realizing she'd never gone into his bedroom, needless to say even stopped at the doorway. She gave the door three taps with two knuckles. She received no response but when she found that the door was unlocked, she turned the knob, and entered mid-doorway.

Sheldon sat on his bed, eating his dinner with a napkin over his lap and one in his hand.

"Sheldon…"

"No one's allowed in my bedroom," Sheldon stated, but his voice was more solemn than demanding. He glanced at her. "What do you want?"

Kate smiled gently.

"It's not what I want that's important," said Kate.

"I disagree," Sheldon replied sadly. He looked at her. "What you want could more than likely be your sole purpose for coming into my bedroom when I clearly did not give you an invitation. Since you're already more than three-and-a-half feet inside, you might as well stay."

Kate crossed her arms over her chest, feeling a little embarrassed. She was in Sheldon's bedroom. A thought came to a quick blur: _the plate of dinner falls to the floor; Kate was pressed against the mattress, her back brushing against the soft covers. Sheldon kisses her neck, and she returns it, instead taking his lips to hers, a passionate kiss—_

"Sheldon," Kate said quickly, her mind suddenly halting the illicit fantasy. She took a step towards him. "You…um…thank you."

"What are you thanking me for?" asked Sheldon. He gave her a look of complete innocence.

"You kept your word," said Kate.

"Of course I did," Sheldon responded. "I gave you my word that your tattoo history would be forever in confidence. To exploit your secrecy for sake of succumbing to adolescent peer pressure would be mortifying and dishonorable." He fiddled his chopsticks in his tangerine chicken. "Given the circumstances, it'd also make it awkward between us."

"Still," said Kate gently. "I appreciate it."

Sheldon shrugged, still fiddling with his chicken.

"I also admire your passion in keeping my secret; I've never seen someone stand up for me as you did," Kate stated slowly.

"I didn't stand up for you—I didn't defend you in any way," Sheldon remarked, looking at her. "I defended my word for the mutual confidentiality and the strength it holds that our so-called friends failed to accept." He licked his lips and added, "Nothing more."

"So you're saying the unbridled anger you displayed was only for your _word_?" Kate replied. She wanted to see if she could get something out of him: an emotion, a display of any emotional contact. Instead, she received something better.

Sheldon put down the chicken dinner on his stand and turned his upper half to her. He sighed, licking his lips again nervously.

"Since we're in the process of compiling secrecy, I will…" He stopped short as though this was hard for him to conceive but he continued none the less. "I will…ahem…I'll indulge you on a secret of my own. It doesn't contain any defacement of any of my body parts or the skin included."

"I wouldn't think so," said Kate. She took a seat beside him on his bed. "What's your secret?"

"It's a rather…um…_dark _secret, as one would say," said Sheldon. "Just as well, it's one I'm not too fond of, nor happy about so try to dispel any façade of excitement."

"Sure," replied Kate.

"My…secret…" Sheldon said slowly, "is that, while I was at school I had only one person, other than Amy, of course, or you, that came close enough to matching my intellectual caliber. Her name was Suzy, and she was in the fifth grade, like me. On the first day of school, she said she liked me."

Kate nodded.

"So what was bad about that?" asked Kate.

"I'm not finished, don't interrupt, Kate."

"Sorry."

"Apology accepted," Sheldon said. "Anyway, she said she had a 'crush' on me. Taking from what I'd learned from my mother and father's imploding marriage, my only knowledge of the word crush was a beer, literally the action as my father regularly crushed the cans of alcohol before disposing them to the floor."

Kate nodded, but didn't say anything.

"When I came home that same day, I stole one of my father's cans and brought it to school, hoping that I could return the crush. To this day, of course, I realize that her definition and my definition of the word 'crush' was completely polar opposites but I was a fifth grader, I knew no different. However," narrated Sheldon, "something happened that day that still amazes me today. She took the can and said it was one of the most fascinating things anyone had ever given her. By extent, it was special to her."

Sheldon smiled at Kate, who was still waiting for the DARK secret.

"And?" Kate asked.

"And what?"

"What's the dark secret?" asked Kate.

Sheldon blinked.

"Did you not listen?" Sheldon returned. "'I _stole _one of my father's cans and brought it to school, hoping that I could return the crush. To this day…"

"I heard the story," Kate interrupted. "What's your dark secret?"

Sheldon stared at her.

"I committed theft, Kate. Dear Lord, you above all should know the treachery of having something stolen from you. Good grief," Sheldon muttered, shaking his head.

Kate quirked an eyebrow at him, suggesting rage but Sheldon had seen it and apologized immediately.

"I still can't see why you didn't catch that," Sheldon replied.

Kate shook her head.

"Like I said, Sheldon, thanks for keeping your word." Kate returned.

"I hope you'll keep yours? Should we shake on it?" Sheldon asked.

"No, I think we're fine."

"Oh good. As comfortable as I am around you, Kate, I still prefer to not touch people in general," Sheldon responded.

Kate nodded in understanding. She sat next to him in subtle silence.

"Okay, I think we're done talking. Now get out," said Sheldon.

Kate smiled and walked out of the bedroom. She felt a little closer to Sheldon. And that's all she cared about.


	19. Junkyard Charges

Chapter Nineteen: The Junkyard Charges

"Are you sure you don't want to press charges?"

Kate stared at the reminisce of her car, or what would be her car if it'd been glued with steel iron and mounted by the Hulk, and compacted together quickly by the Flash and perhaps if God put in a hand, she'd be in it by now.

The officer beside her was clearly saying 'yes' to the charges, even questioning her for the fifth time that she could do so against the sixteen year old boy. Hearing he was sixteen, Kate hadn't wanted to press charges; sixteen was a mounting age for a boy. However, seeing the rubble of bent metal, glass shattered and the car being reduced to nearly eight different parts, all piled to a degree that made Kate's face twitch convulsively, the idea was starting to be very convincing.

Kate looked at the officer, a man by the name Officer McGee. He was a tall black man that resembled a lot like Eddie Murphy. His hands linked his belt loops as he gazed at the mess before them at the Junkyard; she'd only come here to gaze at the last of her car before it was smashed by a compactor and recycled as metal sheets for factories.

"How long would he serve in Juvie?" asked Kate curiously.

"Not long enough," Officer McGee responded. When Kate sent him a look, he explained shortly, "I read about you in the papers. Did you ever recover your keys to your apartment?"

"Hm, I'm living with a friend," Kate returned.

"That's lucky."

"I am," she replied.

"We haven't caught the hijacker yet but when we do, he'll probably charged for assault and battery, grand theft auto, and since he also took your keys, we may also be able to charge him for breaking and entering." Officer McGee stated.

Kate had taken Penny with her for moral support. She'd only regarded Sheldon for a minute before knowing what he'd say; he didn't want to touch people or be in a hospital. What are the odds he'd come to a junkyard, unless it was the place of scraps of trains, which he'd probably collect to make a train module of his own.

Penny was dressed in a corduroy jacket; underneath was a blue tanktop and she wore blue-jean capres with matching blue sandals. Her blonde hair was pulled up in a ponytail and it was very poofy today; Kate wore black slacks and black shirt with the symbol of Batman on the front. While the girls watched the car's parts become slowly compacted into nothing but flat metal, Kate frowned.

"Something tells me that if I _do _press charges, I'm liable to keep doing this mess until I'm dead," said Kate, looking at Penny. "I don't want this to be more drawn out than it already is. Granted, the kid deserves the price to pay, but I don't want him." In a darker voice, she growled, "I want the son-of-a-bitch that stole my ride."

Officer McGee smiled at Kate.

"I'm sure Justice will be served," Officer McGee stated.

Kate glanced at him and she uttered something Penny didn't understand, the vowels become something between French or Spanish sounding, although some almost sounded Mandarin or possibly Dutch…or German. The combination of it all made Officer McGee stare at her, and Penny gazed at Kate with the same expression she gave the guys when she didn't understand something they said.

"What was that?" asked Officer McGee.

Kate looked at him.

"That was 'Revenge is best served cold' in Klingon," said Kate. She crossed her arms. "If I pressed charges, what're the odds that I'd get money from it?"

"You're looking for money?" Penny asked, somewhat shocked.

"Why are you surprised?" Kate replied, glancing at her. "Wouldn't you?"

"Of course, but I'm a waitress. You're this big shot medical surgeon in Pasadena General," Penny stated, modeling Kate's figure with her hands for dramatic introduction. "I figured money would be the last thing on your mind."

"I'll have to buy a car, Penn," Kate reasoned.

Penny gave her an odd look, to which Kate returned it.

"What?" she asked.

"You never call me 'Penn'."

"Does it bother you?"

"No," Penny said quickly. "It's just that I never hear you say it."

"If it bothers you…"

"No, it doesn't bother me," Penny responded immediately. She was laughing nervously, which made Kate curious.

"Are you uncomfortable around me?" Kate questioned.

Officer McGee seemed to realize that Kate wasn't pressing charges, or really more importantly, that Kate and Penny were now in a more confidential and less open discussion. As Kate's car was being smashed and rolled into a fine doughy metal, Kate and Penny were talking to each other with louder voices to get rid of the sound that was crashing before them.

"I'm kind of uncomfortable," said Penny loudly. "You're Leonard's replacement!"

"How am I replacing Leonard?"

"You're Sheldon's roommate, Kate! _Plus, you sometimes act like a bitch!_"

The crashing stopped and Kate stared at Penny.

"Beg your pardon?"

"You sometimes act like a bitch," Penny repeated. She shook her head, saying, "It's not always a bad thing; sometimes you need to be a bitch. Like when you were talking to us at dinner and saying no one needed to know why you have that joker tattoo on your back—yeah, we deserved the speech about privacy and secrets, but you could have just told us and then we'd left you alone."

"You would've," Kate corrected. "Howard wouldn't have."

"True," Penny considered. "But the curiosity is still there, girl."

Kate shook her head as though this was ridiculous. She didn't care to know about Penny's 'courage' or 'soup' tattoo, so why did Penny insist on seeing or knowing about hers? What was so important about knowing? More importantly, why did anyone care? The only person Kate wanted to care was the only person that showed less interest.

Kate glanced at the remnants of her car.

"I'm not suing," said Kate finally.

"Why not?" Penny exclaimed.

"Why bother?" asked Kate. "I'll just send an inflammatory email to the parents and hopefully with a little threat here and there, I may get him to do some damage control."

"That's…brilliant," Penny uttered. She smirked. "But the money wouldn't be too bad either."

"Yeah, but it's not worth the hassle."

"I certainly disagree." Sheldon's voice uttered from afar.

Kate turned to see him walking down to where she and Penny stood; he looked remotely calm, despite the germ-infested junkyard where dogs were roaming around, sniffing here and there. He looked disgusted with the place, but when he looked at Kate, she saw some reverence.

"What're you doing here?" Penny asked. "This was supposed to be a Penny-Kate bonding moment."

"I'm sorry to disappoint," Sheldon remarked, not sorry at all.

"Why _are _you doing here?" Kate voiced Penny's question. "You don't like junkyards."

"On a contrary, I enjoy junkyards. It's the things that inhibit them that I don't particularly adore," said Sheldon, eying a rabid-looking dog from afar who resembled much of Cujo from Stephen King's novel-based movie, 'Cujo'.

"More to the point," Sheldon said, continuing, "I came for moral support."

"Really?"

"Don't sound so surprised, Penny. I understand the value of transportation. I'd offer to perform a burial but evidently, we're already present," Sheldon stated, glancing around the surroundings. He looked at Kate. "I'm sorry for your loss."

Kate giggled, saying, "Thank you, Sheldon."

"I hardly see the humor in a grave situation as this," Sheldon pointed out. "One grieves when one is sad, normally a tear falls or possibly a catch in the throat. You don't have any of those signs or symptoms reflected in bereavement, Kate."

She grinned still.

"I'm glad you came," said Kate.

Sheldon looked at Penny.

"Am I supposed to offer my condolences or should I have brought confetti? The only reason I ask is because Kate is not only sounding sad but she keeps smiling at me," Sheldon explained, glancing between the two girls to observe their emotional stability. "Although it's not uncommon for humans to smile when bereft or nauseated; it's actually commonly engaged to smile as it is a perfect gag reflex to prevent projectile vomiting."

Kate looked at Sheldon.

"I'm fine, Sheldon."

"I doubt that, but for the sake of this situation, I won't argue my point," Sheldon said. "I do have one question, Kate."

"What's that?"

"Are you going to check the engine light of the next car you purchase? If not, I'll gladly do so." Sheldon stated, glancing at Penny, who glared at him. "What? It's bad enough that I had to chance my life and safety just to go to work every day; if I don't have to do that, I might just enjoy the ride."

Kate grinned broadly. She liked this part of Sheldon, even if he was pissed. Penny gave Kate the 'oh my god' look but Kate couldn't help but still grin as Sheldon inched ever so closely to her when a dog passed them, then a bird. She could even feel the soft material of his shirt pressed against her arm when a particular crow dove down and nearly took off his head, or as Sheldon exclaimed.

After Penny became exasperated by Sheldon's pleas for exit of the junkyard, the three finally left. Kate couldn't say for sure but when the crow had dove down and nearly 'killed' Sheldon, she felt his hand grab her arm; when the crow had gone for sure, the sensation was gone. Did she imagine it? Probably so; her imagination had become quite riled in the past few days that it wouldn't surprise her.


	20. the frustration commission

Chapter Twenty: The Frustration Commission

Kate stood at a car autoshop, lulling her habitual worries: her car was gone, now she needed another one. Driving Leonard's car was making her feel dependent solely on Leonard, although he stated that he felt it no way that she was mooching off him. Still, Kate didn't want to do it for long; she needed something else.

Because she'd be driving Sheldon, he had also accompanied her. Leonard had driven them there and dropped them off; Sheldon looked at Kate, who was staring at the cars and trucks and vans that all stood in a perfect alignment.

"Are your feet permanently glued to the pavement, Kate?" asked Sheldon.

"Huh? No, why?" Kate said, looking startled.

Sheldon cleared his throat and said, "I know your past troubles may be affecting your subliminal consciousness, ultimately leading you to obsessive worries but until we start picking up our feet and moving them, we'll be here all day; I didn't take off work to stand and become baked by the sun's imminently dangerous rays."

"Right," Kate returned. She sighed. "I'm just…"

"_Good _morning!"

Kate's words were cut off as a salesperson came walking towards them, a great big smile on his face. His hair was slicked black with too much gel, and his tie was straighter than what normal ties were like. He wore a three-piece suit, which underneath he was no doubt profusely sweating as it was a good deal of a hot temperature today. Kate, herself, had worn thin black capres, and a yellow plain top while Sheldon wore his normal attire; it was amazing how he wasn't hot but the sleeves were pulled up to his elbows, assuredly claiming that he was feeling a little hot under there.

Kate's smile was the thought of him undressing for relief of the heated weather but the salesman interpreted this as though she was glad to see him.

"I apologize for not having come here sooner," said the salesman. He held out a hand to shake Sheldon's but the latter recoiled from his offer; the salesman wasn't too offended as he simply turned his hand to Kate's, who shook it anxiously—not for the germs but her natural anxiety.

"My name is Glenn," he said. "I'll be servicing you today. Isn't it a nice sunny day?"

"It is," Kate replied; she gathered this was Glenn's way of pulling her in with pleasant talk. Evidently, Sheldon was no stranger to sales' tactics for he commented on it briefly.

"How clever," Sheldon stated smoothly. "You go on about pleasant chitchat and weather banter in order to elude the fact that you are hell-bent on selling malarkey and other false information, dooming us to a broken down vehicle and…"

"Nonsense, my good man," Glenn interrupted loudly. He grinned sheepishly. "My sales receive 100 percent feedback from every customer I service; in fact, sir, if you wish, you're more than welcome to peruse the cars in order to make sure your _lovely _companion's safety is most reassured."

Sheldon nodded skeptically, saying, "Yes, I'm sure that's what you would want. Place my body in the hazardous vehicle, start the engine and watch from the sidelines as my body parts scatter to the four winds thanks to a clever attachment of a detonating time bomb and a pocket watch."

Glenn stared at Sheldon, and breathed to Kate: "Is this guy for real?"

Kate smiled and replied, "He's altogether serious." She turned to Sheldon. "Be nice to the man. He's not like those people you see on television."

"On a contrary," Sheldon remarked. "As you're so trusting of other people, I think I was right in accompanying you on this expedition; you'd have been blind-sided and would not have even known it!"

Kate looked over at him as Glenn did too. The two of them ignored him and Kate sighed.

"Carry on," said Kate.

Although Glenn was more than happy to show Kate around, and even accompany Sheldon, the whole hour of looking at cars had become quite tedious. The reason being was that when Kate found a car she liked, Sheldon would find something wrong: the color didn't match the interior, the tires were not proportionate…the check engine light was on. By the end of the tour and when they'd tested almost every single car, Sheldon did find one he particularly liked, and this was solely based on the fact that it resembled closest to the Batmobile; it was black, and had the look of it.

Kate too was attracted to it. She sat in the driver seat and Sheldon sat in the passenger. He smiled.

"I like this," he breathed happily. He touched the interior and then the roof, smiling as he did so.

"I like this too," Kate returned. She turned on the radio but there was mostly static; she didn't care. This was the car. From the driver's window, Glenn appeared. He seemed ecstatic; the reasons were numerous: he was happy that they were almost finished closing the deal, or perhaps this was the car that was the most expensive. Kate leaned towards both.

Sheldon crawled into the back seat and was growing more and more ecstatic as he expressed his liking for the large back seat, and the trunk that was just behind him. His fascination was obvious as he became breathless.

"What's his deal?" asked Glenn.

"He likes the car," Kate replied, not wishing to divulge the utter stranger in Sheldon's fascination with the look-alike Batmobile.

"Kate," said Sheldon from the back.

"Yes?"

"Can we buy this one? This looks perfect; its interior is stupendous and I won't even gush about the exterior," Sheldon gushed. He poked his head from the back and looked at Kate for the answer.

She looked at Glenn, expecting him to state a price.

"It's 100,000 dollars," Glenn voiced. "The sales tax, multiplied by the retail price, times the newly refurbished inside and out, and I have to multiply the yearly expenses…"

Kate watched Glenn voice what the numbers equaled to and while he did so, she side-glanced Sheldon who was in his state of thought; the slightly narrowed eyes and his stare gave Kate the notion he was concentrating hard but not that hard.

"It's almost _over _100k," said Glenn, turning to Kate. He shrugged. "If you can sign a five-year warranty then we can…"

"Hold on," Sheldon interrupted.

Glenn and Kate glanced at him.

"It's not 100,000; you made a multiplication error," Sheldon pointed out. He voiced the numbers as Glenn had done except he came out with a different answer, which was reduced by half the amount Glenn had appraised.

"You're mistaken," Glenn said quickly.

Kate raised her eyebrows. Sheldon looked offended.

"Excuse me," said Sheldon from the back seat, from which he exited as he stood before Glenn, "I have to disagree. Your equation was finding the x variable for the value of the car, not the present retail price."

Glenn held out his sheet of paper on which he did the math, as though this was obvious proof that Sheldon was wrong and he was correct. Kate opened the car door, and closed it on her way out.

"The math is clear—it's on the paper," Glenn said. "I took two years of mathematics and two years of social sciences before doing this job, Mr. Cooper."

"_Dr. _Cooper," Sheldon corrected sternly.

Glenn looked surprised and said to Kate, "Seriously?"

"Seriously," Kate responded.

Glenn shook his head and said to Sheldon, "I don't know what kind of antics you're up to or if you think you can get out of paying for a price of the car, which _is _100,000…"

"Wrong; it's 50," Sheldon argued. "I have two doctorates and a master's degree. Do you honestly think I would make any error regarding mathematics and basic multiplication? Please." He crossed his arms.

"Look at the paper!" Glenn snapped, thrusting the clipboard into Sheldon's hands.

"I don't have to look at it!" Sheldon retorted, pushing it away from him.

Kate snatched the clipboard from Glenn and glared at him.

"Let me see the damn thing," Kate snarled. She looked at the chicken scratch on Glenn's paper. It was a big mess, impeccably chaotic. There were scribbles, chicken scratches everywhere.

"I can't even tell what you've done here," Kate stated.

"Of course you can't; it's mathematics," Glenn said. "Algebra, Geometry…"

"For your information, Glenn, just because I'm a girl," said Kate pointedly, "doesn't mean I don't understand any math." She dropped the clipboard on the ground, to which Glenn darted to in order to retrieve his precious ally.

Sheldon looked at Kate, obviously still very irritated that Glenn had said he was wrong. Kate turned to him.

"Let's go," she said.

"But—"

"Forget about the car, Sheldon," Kate retorted. "If Salesman Jackass refuses to admit he'd made a mathematical error to retain his pride, then we can go elsewhere."

"But I like this car," Sheldon refuted. He stood beside the Batmobile look-alike. "It's the only car I've ever loved!"

Kate stared at him, surprised. Glenn was sweating and looking at the two as though they were insane. Kate didn't have to press the matter to know she wasn't leaving here with Sheldon until she bought the car. He was practically pressed against the shiny metal, lovingly laying his head upon the driver's door as though it was a long-lost puppy dog.

"Perhaps," Kate said as she came to stand before Glenn, "we can come to some kind of negotiation."

"I'm taking 100,000 for this car," said Glenn sternly. "It's pricey, but it's worth it."

"I disagree," Kate remarked. She crossed her arms. "I'm a very negotiable woman, Glenn, and although you trust your mathematical experience, I'm not quite so convinced you're right. I trust Sheldon's judgement."

Glenn seemed ripped between settling the pricey commission and negotiating.

Kate glanced behind her to see Sheldon talking to the car.

"Okay," she said slowly. "75,000 for it."

"90,000." Glenn replied.

"Considering its price is supposed to be 50K and I'm giving you 25,000 more for it, you're lucky for that." Kate returned.

"80,000, then."

"75 and I take him with me," Kate said, glancing to Sheldon with a smile. "Unless you want to settle prices with him, in that case, you might as well keep him too."

"80 then," the man agreed quickly. Kate shook on it.

Sheldon looked at the two as though he'd missed something.

"Care to include me?" Sheldon proposed, turning around to Kate.

"Sure; I bought it for 80,000," said Kate.

"I told you it was 50,000," Sheldon said, sounding hurt. "Didn't you believe me?"

"I do," Kate returned. She touched his shoulder subconsciously and said sweetly, "but if I didn't up the ante, I'd be stuck here all day."

Sheldon shrugged.

"I guess, you're right," said Sheldon thoughtfully. He looked around at the car. "It almost makes me wish I drove."

"You could if you wanted to," Kate remarked.

"Wrong; I couldn't."

"You have your permit."

"Yes, but I went through multiple driving simulations and they all ended up with me driving through a second-story mall," Sheldon said smoothly. He shrugged. "I'm too highly evolved for driving."

Kate smiled at his excuse. She watched him sit in the driver's seat and pretend he was Batman.

"You'd be Batgirl," Sheldon said from the driver's seat as he looked at Kate from the window.

"I'd be Harley Quinn," Kate corrected.

Sheldon shook his head, implying that Batman would never work with Harley Quinn, unless of course he was after the Joker on the inside. Kate smiled gently and she did the paperwork with Glenn, who was more than relieved to be ridden of their existence. No doubt, this had been the hardest commission he'd ever come up against.


	21. the insomniac sexual paradigm

Chapter Twenty-One: The Insomniac Sexual Paradigm

**Author's Note: Warning to avid readers, this chapter really pushes Sheldon's threshold (if you get the idea) and I'm keeping him in character as much as possible. Those who believe Sheldon lacks in sexual arousal should stop reading NOW. Read and review those who are able to keep reading. The chapters will increase in maturity. **

Sheldon laid in bed one evening after dinner and his nine o'clock curfew had come quicker than what he'd hoped. Keeping with his normal routine, he vowed a life of strictness to it, but the last events had given him a spiff of insomnia. It'd been a month since Kate had bought the Batmobile—or at least the likeness of it, but the likeness was so close (minus the size, for the car was a great dealer smaller) to the actuality that Sheldon had nicknamed the Batmobile, humming the theme for Batman whenever Kate drove him to work.

Sheldon couldn't figure out what kept him awake; glancing at his alarm clock, it was thirty minutes until eleven; surely, he'd had fallen asleep. But something kept him awake, something lurked in his mind, and he reflected on the possibilities for the cause of his abrupt insomnia. Sheldon sat up.

He'd do a log of things that would have kept him awake from the past experiences, eliminate the unlikeliest of possibilities and the remaining variable would be the solution to his equation. Sheldon smiled; he loved math and science, so what better time to do it than at 10:30, especially when this was the only solution he could find temporarily until the actual solution could be found through mathematical and scientific phenomena.

He folded his covers away from his lap and stepped out of his bed, not before slipping on his house shoes. He robed his top half with the matching plaid of his pajamas and walked out of the room, closing the door as he did so. A month of living with Kate had been pleasant and although he trusted Kate enough with the solace of his home, he still kept the usual confidence that no one was allowed in his bedroom, especially without his supervision.

He entered the living room; Kate was not there, but of course, he assumed greatly that she was now asleep in her own room. Sheldon reflected how quickly things had changed; Leonard had wasted no time in leaving the apartment and gathering his belongings to share a room with his attractive neighbor. Sheldon didn't miss Leonard—for hell sake, he was right across the way in case he needed to speak to him. But there was a good difference in having a male roommate in the household than a female companion; for instance, Sheldon was always quadruple checking the bathroom door to make sure it was locked, rather than the double checking he did when Leonard was here. Sheldon chuckled to himself; he didn't think Kate would burst through the door with flaming guns but the fact remained she was a woman, he was a man, and the privacy was extra important.

Sheldon cleaned off the grease board with a spray and a rag; the eraser had long been used too much from his recent hypotheses and equations proven right (as always) and he was more than willing to clean it for yet another debatable problem. He set up a hypothesis that his insomnia was caused by a plausible variable.

He thought for a minute and wrote down in capital letters 'BATMOBILE'. He considered it but marked it out entirely. Why did the car have anything to do with his worries? He made a soft breathy laugh because it amused him so to think that he even _considered _as a possibility.

He thought for another minute and scribbled _Caltech: enemies. _He nodded. Yes, those were always his possibilities. They bothered him; Sheldon would kill them if it didn't mean going into jail and having to use the damnable toilet/sinks for relief and washing hands. He shuddered at the idea.

Another idea came to him and he wrote _Absence of Leonard_. He even considered that Leonard's regular absence from his apartment was difficult; he seldom had any time with him. Leonard had opted to be with Penny as a roommate and since the two were a couple and in love (or so Leonard and Penny agreed) they were always together. Leonard never took Sheldon to work because that was Kate's responsibility and she did it without complaint or that familiar exasperation that his friends shared.

Sheldon's face became one of realization when he wrote down the next idea that came to him: "Kate". Even as he finished writing, he had said her name in the softest of tones, gentle, quiet…he felt a shudder for just saying it had made his spine ever so lightly quiver with what…what was it? Sheldon frowned. Good, another equation to figure out, just as soon as he figured this one out first!

Sheldon sighed. The absence of an answer lurked beneath the words written on his board. So far he'd listed only three: the enemies from Caltech, which were but not limited to Leslie Winkle and Kripke; Leonard's absence in the apartment, and Kate's name. Sheldon frowned. He couldn't figure it out just by staring at the board so underneath he listed the reasons as to why they'd keep him from his REM sleep.

The Caltech pair were easy: 'Consistent need to drive me crazy'. Yeah, that seemed like a really good reason. Sheldon wrote underneath Leonard's name: 'Disruption of routine'. However when he came to Kate's name, he couldn't discern the possibility. He frowned.

"Drat!" He said aloud. "Why is this so hard?"

He sighed and capped the top of the marker to its sharpie. He had to consult someone. The only thing with Kate he could figure that would make her be his source of insomnia was that she didn't share his love of science. Something clicked in the brilliance of his mind, however as Sheldon rushed to his desk, opened his laptop and turned it on. It powered up in minutes and Sheldon was on the webcam; he would skype his female counterpart, the one that loved science as he did.

Surprisingly, she picked up.

Amy appeared in the computer, looking tired, but still awake, none the less.

"Sheldon?" she said, her eyes narrowing. She didn't have on her glasses and she seemed to be on her couch, as her kitchen was just behind her. She wore a night shirt.

"Hello, Amy," said Sheldon. "I'd ask the obvious question of 'are you awake' but it's more than obvious that it is so."

"Of course I am awake," Amy returned. She shrugged. "Why are you?"

"Insomnia has stolen my REM sleep for the time being," Sheldon stated confidently, "However, I intend to recover it. I'm in the middle of deciphering an equation that would explain the reason for my insomnia and recently, I've hit a snag, so to speak."

Amy nodded with understanding.

"I have that problem as well from time to time," Amy returned. She smiled. "It's nice to hear from you."

"I'd presume it is," Sheldon responded, smiling as well. "How have you been?"

Amy was half-surprised at the concern in his voice.

"Generally, I've been fine. Thanks for asking." She said. "And you?"

"Other than the aforementioned insomnia, I've been fine," Sheldon said. He raised an eyebrow. "Funny, that's normally what Kate says."

"Ah, how is that beautiful, beautiful woman?" Amy asked sweetly.

"I'd presume she's fine as well; she's asleep in her bedroom."

Amy nodded but didn't seem to come up with anything to say to that. She looked a little sad but her smile returned.

"Sheldon, may I ask you something?"

"You already have but you may ask another," Sheldon returned.

Amy's eyebrows scrunched together as though she was trying to figure out just what the question would be. A few seconds passed and she sighed.

"I was trying to think of something clever to say, but evidently, that moment has passed. Sheldon, I would like to pose a question that I've found to be quite endeavoring." Amy said.

Sheldon was interested.

"Of course, ask away."

"You and I have known each other for quite some time," Amy stated. "It would be most likely that you understand me from an intellectual standpoint whereas others 'get' me, so to speak, from a different standpoint. Therefore, I would more likely accept anything you have to say before anyone else's opinions are considered."

"Amy, I believe you're trying to stipulate me to a very important and perhaps even meaningful question so why not skip the play-by-play and get right to the point?" Sheldon asked gently.

"Alright," said Amy. "Would it be invasive if I asked if you and Kate had something together?"

It was Sheldon's turn to look confused.

"What do you mean by 'something'? Do you mean a shared item, because if that's the case, you should be notified immediately that Kate and I have been sharing a lot of things for the past month: the bathroom, the kitchen, the living room, not to mention the apartment as a whole? We also share…"

"Sheldon, that's not what I'm talking about," Amy said. She smiled though.

"Okay, then clarify," Sheldon returned, crossing his arms on the desk.

"Do you wish to date Kate?" asked Amy directly.

Sheldon hadn't even considered that.

"I've never considered it," said Sheldon.

"Does she wish to date you?" Amy asked.

To this, Sheldon scoffed, saying, "Amy, how am I really supposed to know that? I admit I'm smart enough to know a lot what people are thinking but I'm still waiting on that advancement when my mind is linked telepathically to all you. It sure would relieve me of having to read body language."

"I just wanted you to know that if you did want to date her, it's okay with me," Amy said suddenly.

Sheldon shook his head.

"But I don't want to date her," he stated. "Even if the situation proposed itself, why would your blessing matter to me?"

"We are an ex-couple," Amy said factitiously. "Apparently the social paradigm states that if an ex-partner is uncomfortable with him or her dating a friend of the circle then one must not do such interactions. In the case that a woman or man does date the mutual friend, one can receive a blessing and therefore relieve the ex-partner and the mutual friend of any auspicious feelings towards them or one another."

Sheldon crinkled his nose.

"Who led you to believe that?" asked Sheldon.

Amy shrugged, saying, "Stuart was telling me that you and Kate, and I quote, 'definitely have a thing together'."

Sheldon shrugged this time.

"I wouldn't take what Stuart says too literally or figuratively. He's neither a doctor nor a scientist so what he says is moot when compared to fact or proven data."

"Actually, Stuart has plenty of interesting things to say," Amy responded smoothly. "In fact, he and I were at a museum…"

"I'm sorry, Amy," Sheldon said suddenly, "but that doesn't interest me."

"I'm confused," Amy replied. "The museum trip does not interest you or my activity with Stuart does not interest you?"

Sheldon considered it and said, "Both, actually."

"Oh," said Amy. She paused. "Well, then, this conversation has suddenly taken an awkward turn. Anyway"—she cleared her throat and continued on—"Stuart was giving me a rather juicy bit of gossip that he's been watching you and Kate when you all are at the comic book store. He says that she smiles at you."

"Of course Kate smiles at me," Sheldon said tiredly. "She enjoys my company, just as I enjoy yours and you enjoy mine, and I enjoy hers."

"That was a lot of pronouns," Amy said, smiling. "It was amusing."

"I know, I agree," Sheldon said. He chuckled a little afterwards.

"Stuart says it's a different smile," Amy stated. She looked up at the ceiling for a thoughtful minute and looked back at the screen, at him. "He says that she has 'the look'."

"The look?"

"I think he's referring to the action the pupils engage when one reveals sexual attraction to a possible partner, the pupils will dilate," said Amy. "In fact, I've done my own observations of Kate's interactions with you and I've noticed that she has the regular habit of biting her lip. One must think Kate is attracted to you in some shape or form; the intellectual attraction is mutual."

Amy winked at him. Sheldon shifted but not uncomfortably. He found Amy's mind very beautiful as she had found his to be as well. The two acknowledged their past relationship with liking and thoughtfulness. The quiet between them had become almost welcoming but it didn't solve Sheldon's insomnia.

"I actually have a posing question," Sheldon said. "My insomnia must suffer from three identifiable variables. If you don't terribly mind, I'd like to circle back and make a segue to the initial cause of calling on you so late."

"Oh right," Amy said. "Go on."

He lifted the laptop and placed it on the coffee table in front of the board where Amy could read the three factors: Caltech enemies, Leonard, and Kate.

"Well," said Amy, "your enemies at Caltech, I'd believe, would be the least possible reasons for your lack of gaining sleep; they've never prevented it before."

"Most assuredly so," Sheldon said. He erased the first option.

"As for Leonard, my opinion rests that although you probably miss the lil' guy, you can sleep without him in your apartment; after all, if this was such a big reason, you'd have had insomnia a long time ago, especially since Kate has been in the apartment for a month," said Amy. She shrugged on the screen. "Therefore, that leaves Kate."

Sheldon looked at her.

"That's where I'm stalled," he said, circling her name. He pursed his lips with confusion and utter concentration.

"I'd like to propose a theory," Amy said.

Sheldon sat in his spot on the couch and pulled the laptop towards his direction. Amy smiled.

"Maybe your reflections of Kate have changed?"

"How would that affect my sleep?" Sheldon asked.

"Maybe it's not your sleep itself; are you by any chance having dreams?" Amy asked.

Sheldon immediately twitched. He did have dreams, dreams that made him feel both refreshed and uncomfortable. He'd sleep with some aggravation in his body and when he awoke, he felt relieved. During his dreams…oh boy.

"Amy, I'm not comfortable with talking to you about my dreams," Sheldon said.

"Sheldon, we've known each other a long time and by extension, if anyone can figure this out, it's probably me. After all, between all your friends, I'm the smartest one," Amy said, grinning proudly. She leaned forward generously and said, "Tell me about them."

Sheldon hesitated.

"Well, the dreams are part of the reason I'm afraid to sleep," Sheldon muttered.

"Really? Are they nightmares?"

"That's an answer with the contradictory answers of 'yes' and 'no," Sheldon responded. He glanced behind him to be sure that Kate wasn't in the room.

"In them," he said quietly, "I'm in my bedroom but it's not just me. It's someone else."

"A robber?" Amy asked.

"Of course not," said Sheldon. "I'm comfortable in my bedroom. Naturally, my mind registers that this is a place of safety. The dark shadow appears and it's Kate, except…" he stopped himself and looked at his computer. "Amy, I really am not comfortable with talking about this to you. I feel that appealing to the social protocol that not only would you and I become distant in talking about this, you would, as being my ex-girlfriend, become inconceivably jealous of…"

"Are you having sexual dreams with Kate?" Amy asked suddenly.

Sheldon's hesitant answer was Amy's answer.

"First," Sheldon said slowly, he licked his lips uncomfortably, "I'm not having dreams _with _the person, but about. In order to have dreams with another human being, one has to fall asleep simultaneously while the other does as well, which I've only ever seen happen in _'Inception'_, starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Kate Winslet. Second…"

"Oh come off it, Sheldon, you're having dreams about Kate and the pleasure you're receiving from it feels not only guilty but, if I can only assume, satisfactory." Amy said, grinning as she said so.

"Well, I'm glad _you _are comfortable with talking about this," said Sheldon. He shuddered. "It's a wonder how my mind is copulating with the imaginative Kate anyway. I'd never engage in such a practice."

Amy smirked.

"Given the past circumstances and the youtube video I've seen of you taking your pants off in a crowd of scientists, I gather the contrary," said Amy smoothly.

Sheldon frowned.

"I was under the influence of alcohol," he said. "It was Penny's manipulation of my fainting episodes that coaxed me into even experimenting with its affects; assuredly, it's less likely to happen."

Amy shook her head, still grinning.

"But back to the point," said Amy, leaning back. "You obviously have feelings for Kate. Just as Stuart theorized, and it goes beyond intellectual stimulation. She stimulates more than that."

"Forgive my cursing but poppycock," Sheldon replied. "I'm a highly evolved humanoid and…"

"Blah, blah, blah," Amy said, smirking. "You may be highly evolved but you're human, like Leonard and Penny, and me. My only regret is that you didn't feel that way towards me, which wouldn't have been too bad."

Sheldon raised his chin proudly.

"I'm a man of science, not one that succumbs to their baser urges."

"So you do admit you have urges," Amy said, her voice almost a giggle.

"I'm done talking about this," Sheldon said with finality. He shook his head when she pointed and laughed (her teasing side that resembled much of Penny, kicking in). Sheldon shut down his laptop, feeling frustrated. Still, he turned to his grease board.

That stipulation of being sexually attracted to Kate was wrong. Surely, it had to be. He frowned though. That's what he feared about going to bed, going to sleep, letting his mind succumb to the imaginative part of his brain. He was sure his intelligence was so dedicated to science and the developmental acknowledgement that confirmed string theory but evidently, his mind was loosely picked by the idea of being in bed with Kate.

Sheldon frowned. He dared not write 'sexual attraction' or 'dreams' to Kate's name. That only acknowledged it, but by even _not _writing it on the board, he was confirming the obvious. It was definitely a problem to which he'd solved, but the results were against his favor.

He looked in the direction where he slept, but also where Kate slept. His mind drifted with conscious that if Kate was—as Stuart theorized—attracted to him intellectually, physically, and sexually then procuring an action as lucid as sex would be easier than when Leonard worked so hard to get Penny. It'd be easier but Sheldon frowned. No…way…in hell…

Sheldon sighed. He'd be lost in this insomnia until he could figure out a way out of the urges. He looked to the force greater than himself: Star Trek. Quietly, he mentally chanted the words of Kohlinar. It worked.

He went into his room and shut the door, then he laid back down, after taking off his shoes. He then began to dream.


	22. The Uncomfortable Reaction

Chapter Twenty-Two: The Uncomfortable Attraction

**Author's Note: Sheldon/OC lovers, get ready for Kate's vulnerability. Amy, Bernadette, Kate, and Penny have their first girl talk. **** This was really fun for me to write. **

Penny, Bernadette, Amy, and Kate were having the long-postponed girl talk-night that Penny had at first invited Kate to but for the sake of Sheldon, she'd pushed aside and had a laundry day with him. While Howard, Raj, Leonard, Stuart, and Sheldon were doing their Halo Night, this time in Sheldon's place than at Raj's, they were hyped. The girls had taken refuge in Penny's apartment, which proved to be more organized than usual. As Bernadette, Amy, and Penny took the blue couch, Kate sat in the armchair adjacent to all of them. It was little awkward as the results were in.

Amy knew Kate was sexually attracted to Sheldon and Sheldon to Kate (although Sheldon dismissed her theory, only for it to be proven even more accurate than she thought). The fact of the matter was that Amy was still physically and mentally attracted to Sheldon. Although her relationship with Stuart was not so strict and this was something of a change for Amy, she still felt the difference of the two men. And although Kate didn't know Amy and Sheldon's extent of the relationship, Amy suspected that Kate liking Sheldon made Kate feel uncomfortable around Amy.

The fact that Penny had dated Stuart made Penny somewhat awkward around Amy, who was presently dating said character. Meanwhile, Bernadette was aside for herself, as neither of her friends had dated Howard, thankfully.

The friends glanced at each other awkwardly. Finally, Penny cleared her throat.

"Alright, who wants a drink?"

"I do!" Bernadette and Amy said in unison.

"Me too," Penny agreed. She stood and looked at Kate. "What about you?"

"I'm not much a drinker," said Kate sweetly. "But thank you, Penny."

Penny smiled at Kate as though she was a small child trying to abide by her parents' laws and she was the one person that advocated forbidden fruit. She stepped to her.

"Kate, I know you live with Sheldon and that kind of routine can put a plug up one's butt but you don't have to stay alcohol-free in this apartment," said Penny casually. "Don't get me wrong; I like Sheldon, but even people like him need a tequila."

Kate smiled.

"I know," she said. "I just don't want anything alcoholic. My mom ingested a good amount of it when she was impregnated with me and according to her, that's what's caused my dedication to medicine."

Penny gave her an odd look but she merely shrugged and went onto getting a few glasses and pouring the burning red liquid in them, half-way each. However, when Kate acknowledged her mother's dislike for her job, Amy and Bernadette smiled; the three had found a similarity between them.

"Your mom doesn't appreciate your medical profession?" Amy asked with much curiosity. "I thought that being a surgeon as esteemed as your degrees show that your parents would be proud of you, considering you are one of the top contributing minds to medicinal history."

"Yeah," agreed Bernadette, her small voice unwavering with confusion, "You won the Nobel Prize for Medicine; I thought that's an achievement, not a dishonor."

Amy looked at Bernadette.

"I believe Kate experiences the familiarity of maternal dislike for the jobs that disapprove their religious views and ethics. Perhaps," said Amy to Kate, "you weren't technical when you told your mother you were a surgeon."

"No," said Kate, smiling. "I was very technical. If I can remember correctly, her words were 'Kate, I can't believe you have used up your brains and wit to go into a field where you split the very thing God created in six days; you've put all that hard work into nothing but jars and medicine cabinets, how can you?'"

Penny stood beside Kate, looking at her with an expression that meant what she said: "God, why would your mom say something like that?"

"She doesn't approve," said Kate simply.

"Still," said Penny, handing Bernadette and Amy their designated glasses, "I don't think she has to be so mean about it."

Kate gave her a look of confusion.

"What was so mean about it?" Kate asked.

Penny laughed derisively and said, "She pretty much put all of your work to shit."

"My mom believes creationism against evolution and although she doesn't mind that science and medicine have ripped apart the very things God had created, it still irks her when I mention that I had opened a human being to replace their limbs with an artificial limb." Kate said smoothly.

Bernadette furrowed her eyebrows, expression incomprehension of the idea.

"But you're helping people," Penny said.

Kate smiled, saying, "My mother is very opinionated."

"No shit," Penny said, chuckling.

"This is pleasant," Amy voiced. The three girls turned to her. "We've managed to gather similarity amongst ourselves in order to dispel the tension between us as, for the exception of Bernadette, we've dated each other boyfriends."

"I'm sorry," Kate replied, "but I'm the exception too. I haven't dated Leonard, Sheldon, Stuart, or Howard."

"True," Amy said. "I'm mistaken; the discomfort lies between you and me."

Kate turned to Amy, not unlike Sheldon when he turns to another person before beginning his normal day-to-day speech of the topical trivia that soon proceeds. Instead of spilling trivia however, Kate was uncertain with her information, as well as confused.

"Amy, I know you and Sheldon dated but that's fine with me. I'm not jealous of the past relationship or whatever feelings you may still have for him," said Kate. She chuckled skeptically (although by Penny's knowing expression that Kate's chuckle was half-hearted).

"I wasn't referring to my past relationship with him," Amy stated. "I was referring to the feelings you arbor for him."

Bernadette's eyes widened and Penny's did too, looking from Amy to Kate.

"You like Sheldon?" said Penny, her tone steadily becoming high-pitched with excitement.

Kate looked from the surprised expressions of Penny and Bernadette and looked at Amy, whose smile reflected knowing. As for herself, Kate was surprised too.

"Sure," she said nervously. "Yeah, I like Sheldon." She stood quickly. "But, look, it's not like I don't like him. It'd be stupid for me to not like him; he's my roommate. I should like him."

"Oh come off it," said Amy, smiling. "The pupils dilate more than 45 percent when you see him and the lip-biting is more than obvious; the signs are there, and my curiosity of your symptoms only limits my observations, but by your expulsion of stuttering responses and the denial in your voice, one could only come to the obvious conclusion, which your physical attraction to Sheldon."

Penny glanced at Amy. For once, she seemed to understand everything that Amy had voiced…and it didn't make her awkward either. Bernadette turned to Kate.

"You're attracted to Sheldon?" asked Bernadette.

Kate looked at a loss for words. How could she deny it? Amy had voiced fact and reason, even despite her denial and contradictory to the obvious. Penny's grin widened.

"Oh, so that would explain why you accept his weird and quirky nature," Penny said, giggling. "There had to be a reason why you put up with him—I mean, sure, I put up with his rants and strict routine, which I still think is kind of weird, but I do it because he's Leonard's…" She stopped herself and re-corrected, saying, "I do it because he's my friend."

Kate bit her lip out of nervousness.

"If it's true," said Amy, "how come you deny it? I've admitted my past sexual arousal towards Sheldon's sexiness a long time ago; that's part of the reason I keep Gerard."

"Gerard?" Kate inquired pointedly.

"It's my electric toothpaste for when Stuart is not present to feed my insatiable lust," Amy explained as though she were stating that elephants die standing up and that's that.

Kate looked uncomfortable for a different reason.

"You're not telling me you're uncomfortable talking about sex, are you?" said Penny, smirking.

"Yeah," said Bernadette. "Girls talk about that kind of stuff all the time."

"I'm not uncomfortable talking about sex," Kate responded. But she didn't go on. While she still seemed to deny her sexual attraction to Sheldon, especially when Amy and Penny were clearly amused and eager to know more, Kate realized that the reason she felt so uncomfortable is that she was also vulnerable. She hoped to god that Sheldon didn't come into the room while they talked about this, or hoped he didn't hear them.

"I get the mind and the intelligent part about Sheldon being attractive," said Penny curiously. "But include me on the physical attraction. What about him makes you…"

"I'm not talking about this," Kate said abruptly, standing up.

"Why not?" asked Penny.

"Why not?" Kate rebound, looking at her incredulously. "Why not talk about my attraction to my roommate? Well, let me see." She tapped her chin mockingly in thought. "I have my reasons, let's just go with that."

"Are you embarrassed?" asked Penny.

"No."

"Are you uncertain?" asked Bernadette.

"No." Kate said, her voice lowering in register to confirm that she had no doubt about her feelings about or towards Sheldon.

"Then talk to us about it, Kate. Surely, it's been driving you nutter-butters." Penny stated. "If I didn't have my gal pals to talk to about Leonard's way around the sack, it'd be pointless to have sex at all, except the obvious reasons."

"Talking about sex brings women closer together," Amy summarized. She grinned. "Who'd have known that this was what our ancestors discussed while they labored over cold pea soup and feathered morsels?"

Kate looked down at the girls.

"Look, I'm _definitely _certain about how I feel when Sheldon is being Sheldon," said Kate. "I have no doubt, not even a smidget of uncertainty how I feel. It's not talking about that which makes me uncomfortable. It's talking about it to you." She looked at Penny, Amy, and Bernadette.

"Just us?" Bernadette said curiously. "Why?"

"I don't know," Kate returned exasperatedly. "You're his…you know, you're his friends. And Amy, you're his ex."

"If I'm not mistaken," said Amy, "your knowledge of Sheldon and my relationship has made our friendship teeter between enemy and friend. I'll give you the same blessing as I gave Sheldon that you are more than happy to date him."

"Hold on!" Penny said, standing up as Kate was sitting down. She quickly turned to Amy. "What'd you just say?"

"I said I'll give Kate the same blessing I gave Sheldon that she's—"

"No, no, no, no, I got that," Penny interrupted, waving her hands. "When did you tell Sheldon that he could date Kate?"

"About a week ago," said Amy. "In what way would that make a difference, I'm curious to know."

"Sheldon likes Kate?" Bernadette asked, looking more wide-eyed.

"More than that," said Amy, eyes brightening as she was ready to release the juiciest piece of gossip, "Sheldon is denying the fact that he is attracted to Kate as she is attracted to him."

"Just so everyone knows," Kate muttered, "the word 'attracted' is starting to get wordy."

"Sh," Penny said, brushing her off. She was still staring intently at Amy. "You're telling me that Sheldon has indirectly admitted that he actually has some kind of use for his genitals?"

"Not exactly," Amy said. "He shut off his computer before we discussed the matter further."

Kate looked at Amy.

"How did you come about that discussion talking about sex with Sheldon anyway?" asked Kate.

"He was having insomnia and was deducing the elimination process of factors that affected his lack of sleep from the least likely to the most possible. Ultimately," informed Amy, "it was listed Kripke slash Leslie Winkle, then Leonard, then Kate." She smirked at Kate, adding, "Your name was circled."

"He can't sleep because of me?" Kate asked.

"Correction: He can't sleep because he dreams about you," Amy said. She added quickly, "Oh, and he told me this in confidence so it's great if you all didn't spread that around."

Penny nodded. Bernadette grinned broadly at Kate, who looked at her with uneasiness.

"What?" asked Kate slowly.

"He dreams about you, Kate. It makes you wonder what you're doing to him in the dream that keeps him from wanting to sleep," said Bernadette mischievously.

"On a contrary," Kate muttered. "I'm afraid to sleep when I have nightmares. The most recent one that's caused me restlessness has featured my body being buried alive after being raped, shot in the leg, and casted into a wooden coffin."

Penny and Bernadette sent her uneasy gazes and Amy looked interested.

"That's a little frightening," said Bernadette.

"And disturbing," said Penny.

"Interesting," said Amy. She smiled. "You can experience that nightmare again and I could put electrodes on your head to deduce your nightmares so I can see how a monkey reacts to their own life-threatening simulations of the imagination."

Kate licked her lips and said gently, "Amy, I appreciate your scientific curiosity but I'd rather not go through that kind of hell again if I don't have to."

"I could understand that," said Amy. She took a large drink of tequila and smiled. "This conversation has definitely become fascinating. It's not unlike girls to talk about dreams and sexual inquiries while having a sleepover. Regularly, one can confide in their gal pals and establish a congress of mutual friendship and secrecy, which binds us closer together."

Kate crossed her legs on the couch and then her arms.

"So," said Penny, grinning, still. "Does Sheldon know that Kate knows about his attraction to her?"

"No," said Amy. "Not that I'm aware of, unless one of us has managed to go into the apartment across the hall and tell them."

"Let's keep it that way," Kate muttered.

"Why?" asked Bernadette. "If Sheldon knew about your attraction to him then…"

"He knows," Amy alerted.

"Sorry?" Kate said immediately.

"Stuart and I talk about you, Kate, a lot more than you know. Stuart surmised that you had a thing for Sheldon, and I asked about his theory. He brought to my attention your habitual signs of attraction. For instance, when you're around Sheldon, you tend to gawk at him and ogle his caboose as he walks away, not that I can blame you.

" You also meet his eye contact that more than warrants the social protocol whilst listening to someone. I've noticed that when Sheldon's working on a problem, you're practically fawning—I could only stipulate to the fact that you become aroused when he's in deep concentration, just because you know for sure that his bulbous brain of intellect and calculation is hard at work."

Kate stared at Amy.

"That's cool," Penny said to Kate, pointing to Amy.

"It's biological observations," said Amy, turning to Penny. "You do it too."

Amy then proceeded to tell Penny what she does when Leonard reveals some sexually attractive things and then she said to Bernadette what Howard does to make her happy. It was incredible that Amy observed so much.

"And as for me," said Amy, "my hands become clammy, I feel flushed, and my involuntary 'hoo' reveals my own sexual arousal." She smiled and turned to Kate. "And I've noticed it in Sheldon too."

Penny and Bernadette were all excited to hear this. Kate looked at Amy curiously.

"Sheldon," started Amy, "doesn't show signs so obvious but you can definitely tell some of them. For instance, when you and all of us were in your apartment having Chinese take-out, and you separated the food with impressive equalized distribution, Sheldon had a grin on his face that's commonly known as his Koala face. And when you stipulated to Howard that Howard's suggestion of having take out on a pizza day was lacking in logic, Sheldon stopped his work on the erase board, looking mildly surprised, but also overtly satisfied."

Kate looked at Amy with confusion.

"That's not physical attraction, Amy. That's my memorization of his schedule and routine."

Amy smiled, saying, "That's the way to Sheldon Cooper's heart, Kate. In order to transfer his affections of his trains, science fiction, video games and comic books, I dressed as one of the female ensign from Star Trek and we played Doctor on his couch." Amy smirked and said, "That was the most titillating thing we'd ever done, and he seemed to enjoy it."

Penny looked at Amy.

"Really? Leonard and I just play two lieutenants and we're like two people in space deceiving the general about planning schematics but we end up having a hot session on the floor, instead."

"That's the general idea," Amy returned. "Can't get anything past you, Bestie."

Penny beamed.

Bernadette chose this opportunity to weigh in.

"To get Howard in the mood, I just take off my shirt," Bernadette stated.

Penny and Kate didn't seem too surprised by this, but the girls giggled. Amy grinned.

"This is fun," said Amy.

"I still can't believe that Sheldon has somewhat admitted he has sexual attraction to you, Kate," said Penny. "I was half-convinced he was some robot, which in ways, I guess he is."

"Nonsense," said Amy. "He's a human, even if he claims stubbornly to be a mechanism."

Kate thought of Sheldon being attracted to her that way. Did he watch her walk when she left? Did he watch her eat or drink and imagine he was the straw from which she sipped her diet coke? No, that wasn't Sheldon. Not her Sheldon, Kate was sure.

Amy smirked at Kate.

"I know you think it's impossible," said Amy sweetly. "But I'll give you an idea. He likes neck massages, granted, he normally does them to himself but given if you wear latex gloves, I'm sure he'll let you do it."

"What's the potential of giving a neck massage?" asked Kate. "That has no sexual content at all."

"Oh, you poor naïve little girl," Penny snickered.

"Yeah," said Bernadette. "You just give him a neck massage and whatever he says or comes out can be expected to happen if you were doing it in bed. It's the same principle. I gave Howard a shoulder massage and he moaned like he normally does in bed; he sounds like a monkey."

The girls giggled at that. The conversation descended from that of sexual conversations to monkeys and whether they had sexual awkwardness or not. Kate was still thinking of Amy's suggestion. The situation sounded appealing, but Sheldon didn't like people touching him. He even told Kate that although he was comfortable with her—or even Amy—that he didn't like to touch people in general. It was not to be taken personally, it was just to prevent the transfer of germs in any circumstance.


	23. The Batarang Hug

Chapter Twenty-Three

Sheldon was working on his equation, not the Kate VS Sexual Arousal equation but something completely (and thankfully) different. He'd come upon the curiosity of something he found at work and brought it home, naturally concentrating on it until he received the answer from his mind's power to connect things quickly. The two grease boards sat beside each other as one large equation. There were numerous numbers, words, and Greek letters; the problem was so complicated that the narrator couldn't begin to explain how difficult it was for her to come up with an explanation as to how the equation would be solved or ended but knew no matter how difficult or complex, Sheldon Cooper would eventually figure it out.

He'd begun with the simple elimination of answers that were completely wrong. Next, he was on the verge of an epiphany when Kate entered the apartment, holding five envelopes, a bag from his favorite Chinese restaurant, and a bag that he could only recognize was from the Comic Book Store. When he saw the bag and noticed she'd gone without him, he was distracted from his equation, turning to her as he stood before the board.

"Where have you been?" asked Sheldon, watching as Kate put down the Chinese on the coffee table and place the bills on the kitchen counter and her prada bag, then the comic book store's bag.

"Does the contents that were in my arms not explain themselves?" Kate snapped. Her tone was most biting.

Sheldon sensed her irritation.

"Good lord, what's gotten you in a bad mood?" asked Sheldon.

"Well, first," said Kate angrily, her eyes bright with the emotion, "I was driving behind a crack pot who didn't have the manners nor logic to put on their damn signal lights. Second, the same damn crack pot nearly ran me off the damn road as he cut me off in my lane just to turn into a different lane a minute later to get off an exit and swerve right on back."

"If you were driving down the lane, how did you know he made a wrong turn?" asked Sheldon.

Kate frowned, saying, "The crack pot ran me off the road."

"Well forgive me, you said 'nearly'; the definition of the word only clarifies that it almost but didn't occur," Sheldon responded.

When Kate shot him a look of rage, Sheldon quieted, succumbing to his regressive state of remaining silent and innocent-looking, to which Kate softened.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I had a bad day at work."

"I'd assume so," said Sheldon, back to his normal self. "You were called in this morning at exactly two o'clock and it's a quarter til six in the afternoon. It's to be presumed that you would be both tired and easily irritated on the drive home."

Kate gave him a look of suspicion.

"How did you know I left at two?" she inquired.

"Like I told you in the very beginning before you agreed to the Roommate Agreement," said Sheldon, still standing before his boards, "I'm a light sleeper. Your talk on the phone with your co-worker was boisterous, not quiet. The slam of the door on your exit wasn't too subtle either."

Kate sighed tiredly, taking to sitting on the stool.

"I'm sorry I woke you," she apologized gently.

"You're forgiven. As you've adhered to the acknowledgement of my sleep deprivation," Sheldon returned dutifully, "I suppose it's potent to social protocol that I ask about your day so,"—Sheldon sat beside her on the other stool—"how was your day?"

"Oh, you don't have to do that," Kate replied.

"On a contrary, when one suffers from impartiality of the cruel drive from one's work, the company must return concern and full-fillment of the other person's needs, which reminds me," said Sheldon, "would you like a hot beverage? I'm not above making herbal tea or buillion."

"I'm fine, Sheldon."

"I disagree; your biting tone when exchanging the greetings were rather alarming," said Sheldon smoothly. "To say you're fine is only to push away my concern for your health and the future lives of the people that live within this building."

"What?"

"You're expertise with sharp objects makes the lives in the building victim to your anger, Kate," said Sheldon.

Kate stared at him and then laughed, "You think I'd cut people out of anger just because I'm a surgeon?"

Sheldon gave her a serious look but then cracked a smile, saying, "Buzzinga."

Kate chuckled and Sheldon did too.

"On to something more important," said Sheldon. "You went to the comic book store without me?"

"No," said Kate. "This was delivered to me. It's from Amy. Apparently, Stuart had gotten this for you and then gave it to Amy, who gave it to me, and so,"—Kate handed the bag to Sheldon—"I hand it off to you."

"Where's the paperwork?" asked Sheldon, taking the bag.

"What paperwork?"

"What is it with you and Penny and the lack of paperwork—in order to prove that this package was delivered to me on time and by proper handling, one has to sign the paperwork to state that you are no longer liable for whatever may happen to it," Sheldon said. "It's legal issues like these that leave the richest men and women lying on their backs under a leaky gutter with a box the size of their heads being their only source of shelter."

Kate shook her head.

"It's fine, Sheldon."

"If you say so," said Sheldon. He opened the bag and grinned broadly. "What is this?"

"Really?" said Kate emphatically. "You don't know what they are?"

"Of course I know what they are," said Sheldon as though Kate had offered to explain why an orange was called an orange.

Inside the bag, Sheldon withdrew a box that contained three Batarangs that had been used in Christopher Nolan's production, _Batman Begins _and _The Dark Knight_. The three were in the minted box, never been opened, therefore, its value was priceless. The box was also signed by Christopher Nolan, and co-signed by Adam West.

"How did you get this signed by Adam West?" asked Sheldon, looking at the signature with narrowed eyes.

"He was in the comic book store," said Kate.

Sheldon looked both appalled and excited, stating slowly, "He was the comic book store and you didn't take me with you?"

"No, Sheldon," said Kate, knowing if that had been true, she'd be murdered into the ground. "I told Stuart to keep something for me if anyone or anything came up being authentic. He said Adam West had come in one day to autograph—it wasn't planned, don't look at me that way, Sheldon—and he autographed it." Kate said. She looked as Sheldon stared at the box, his hands shaking.

"Why are you giving this to me?" asked Sheldon. "Is there a holiday that…"

"No, Sheldon," said Kate, smiling. "It's not a holiday, not even for Jews. It's just something I thought you might like and I wanted to give you something special. Since I don't know much about Star Trek or science, I thought I'd give you something I knew would be valu—oof!"

Sheldon pulled Kate to him and she was almost ready to faint from shock when he embraced her close to him. This was his Sheldon rare hugs that Penny had told her about, and in the living room, Sheldon was holding her closer to him that Kate had ever been hugged before.

Her hands had gone instinctively around him and she could feel the muscles in his back—he was lean and toned. It was making her hot; her head was just underneath his; his hands were around her waist and the space between their chests was hardly space at all.

"Thank you, Kate," Sheldon said.

"You're welcome, Sheldon," she responded.

Kate's mind went fuzzy, and her imagination went everywhere, and then the images flashed: _hugging became embracing, their bodies pressed against the couch. His hands moved up from her waist and up her shirt, touching her skin with his fingers as though she was delicate, and she was his. _Then it flashed to something more detailed: _Kate was on the bed, his bed, and her shirt was pulled over her arms and his hunger for her increased; he was naked before her, and she before him; the lust was buried long and now it'd risen from the ground, bursting—_

"Okay, long enough!" Kate said quickly.

She and Sheldon broke the embrace immediately. Kate felt hot, her ears and neck were undergoing a massive temperature index. Her mind was numb, and her hands were yet again clammy. Her legs were shaking, and Kate's breathing had become erratic. She was sure that she looked the mess but her eyes turned to see that Sheldon was similar.

He was red in the cheeks. His chest rose and fell slightly more than usual, but not like Kate's.

"So yeah, you're welcome," said Kate. She shifted on her feet for the heat had gone to other places than her ears and neck.

"Thanks," Sheldon said, his voice edging discomfort as well. He looked anywhere but at her. And Kate disappeared from the living room, fleeing to the bathroom in search of a comfort zone.

Had she been so enthralled that her imagination had taken her sight?


	24. The Massaging Heat Stroke

Chapter Twenty-Four

**Author's Note: This chapter has changed my rating to M so Sheldon lovers beware **

Kate was in the bathroom; she'd locked the door, turned on the shower, and had the cold water spraying down her clothed body, which was surprisingly still hot. After ten minutes of the shivering cold, she finally felt herself again, although the pending awkwardness that would ensue during dinner would only make things worse, surely. She couldn't stay in the bathroom forever!

She looked at her hands. They were shaking, from cold water, yes, but from more than that. She had been hugged by Sheldon and when it had happened, it sent her body in all forms of sexual arousal. Her legs had become jelly, and shaky. Her ears and neck had flushed heatedly and between her legs was where she felt the hottest. She'd put her clothes in the sink and showered naked; she figured she might as well.

Kate thought of Sheldon, her thoughts becoming more torture than reflection. His body had been against her; she'd felt the toned muscles that made up his back, and his chest against hers was hard and lean. His height made her imagination soar; what if she was underneath him? That'd made things hotter, steamier. Kate imagined what he'd be like in bed…would he be aggressive and rough or gentle and slow? Would he take her, or would she be on _him? _Kate's thoughts become hotter.

_Forget the bed; imagine in the shower!_

_Yes in the shower; he'd push you against the wall._

_Yes, and since you don't weigh all that much and you're short anyway, he could pin you against that wall._

_He'd move your legs to each side and then he'd be inside you. What a genius, yes?_

_Yes…_

Kate shook her head.

"Shut up!" She told the voices.

She wondered if she should talk to Leonard's mother. According to Sheldon, she was a marvelous psychiatrist. Get rid of the voices, and Kate could take a shower without thinking of…that. Still, the thought was appealing…appealing, compelling, favorable for what it was worth.

"So I'm attracted to him, sure," Kate reasoned. "And he hugged me and there was more feeling than I intended…so what?"

_So what? You practically orgasmed when he hugged you, Kate; imagine what it'd be like if he pushed you to that edge, made your world come undone. And you can't deny that after what's happened, it might lean him towards that scientific curiosity._

_Yes, that's true, Kate. That scientific curiosity—sure, he can theorize but eventually, scientists have to prove hypotheses: Think of this: Say, 'Sheldon, experiment with me the acts of sexual intercourse and let's hypothesize you can give me a world-shaking orgasm'._

"That's ridiculous," Kate muttered. However, as she turned off the water, and felt the towel under her feet as she stepped out of the shower, wrapping a second towel around her body, the idea was still appealing to her. It was tempting. However, Kate knew Sheldon better.

Knock…knock…knock.

"Kate."

Knock…knock…knock.

"Kate."

Knock. Knock…Knock."

"Kate."

Sheldon's voice had become hesitant on saying her name for the third and last time. Kate blushed red when she realized she had only a towel around her body, for her clothes she'd worn into the bathroom were wet in the sink, as she'd not brought any other clothes in with her.

"I'm only wearing a towel, Sheldon," said Kate, keeping her voice as casual as possible.

"That's no more than what I saw of Penny," Sheldon returned.

Kate felt her neck twitch; a pang of jealousy might've occurred inside her body but it was gone.

"You saw Penny naked?"

"Incidentally; she'd dislocated her shoulder in the bathtub and I'd come to her rescue." Sheldon said. "That's how I discovered her soup tattoo."

Kate shrugged her shoulders; that sounded very convincing.

"Sheldon, I…I can't come out."

"Can't come out—Kate, dinner's getting cold. It's already set out and it's too much food for one to consume; I've already had my personal experience in Jewish hell, and I don't plan on experiencing it purposefully, so please come out and get your clothes, then join me for dinner, okay?"

Kate stared at the door. She wondered if he hadn't experienced the same thing she had; if he felt anything remotely as she'd felt, his simple 'come out and get clothes' was completely outrageous, and apathetic. What was Kate thinking? That sounded exactly like Sheldon.

"Fine…"

Kate opened the door and Sheldon looked at her. His cheeks became pink, seeing her in just a towel, which only covered what could be covered with a towel. Her hair was wet, matted to her shoulders. Sheldon looked at her for a moment and made a small 'ahem'.

"Kate," he began.

"Sheldon, I'm going to get dressed real quick, okay?" Kate said. She passed him before he had a chance to say much else. She went into her closet, slipped on a bra, panties, and a black pair of shorts. The door opened slightly; Kate turned and saw Sheldon come into the room, his eyes were clamped shut, but he felt his way into the bedroom.

"Sheldon, what are you doing?" asked Kate, slipping her shirt over her head before Sheldon might open his eyes. Although the feeling of having been half-naked before him had been oddly titillating; crap, she'd have to get another cold shower before long.

"You walked on before I had time to finish what I was ready to say," Sheldon said, crossing his arms. He kept his eyes shut.

"Sheldon, you can open your eyes."

"I dare not."

"I'm dressed."

"Oh good…" Sheldon said breathlessly. He opened his eyes and gazed at her but he turned pink in the face again. "Now, what I was going to state is that I appreciate your gift to me; it was thoughtful and I can't deny that it's become one of my favorite possessions, for the exception of the Leonard Nimmoy napkin I'd obtained from Penny."

Kate crossed her arms, feeling shy, and not to mention self-conscious.

"Sheldon…"

"I'm not finished," Sheldon returned sternly.

"Sorry," Kate replied quickly.

"The next thing I was going to propose to you is that we have to acknowledge the situation in which we find ourselves in, which might be harder for you than it for me," said Sheldon coolly.

"Harder?" Kate asked. "Are you even sure we're on the same page?"

"We're hardly out of the same book," Sheldon replied, getting the metaphor. "It's not a surprise to me that you are, um…sexually attracted to me. I've known for a certain time."

"Because Amy told you?" suggested Kate.

"Amy…" Sheldon began but he frowned. "Amy told you that I knew?"

"Amy told me that Stuart had spoken to her about my possible attraction to you," said Kate directly, although it caused her temperature to skyrocket the usual body temperature of a human being. "To me, she told me I resemble all the signs and symptoms of a person undergoing sexual arousal when I'm near you, and vice versa. I rejected her theory."

"Really?" Sheldon said.

"At first," Kate replied. She bit her lip. "I won't deny it. I can't really, now."

"So the hug in the living room didn't help matters, did it," said Sheldon sarcastically.

Kate winced.

"Not really," Kate returned. "It's not a bad thing though."

"Then why did you run?" Sheldon inquired.

"Well…" Kate said. Why _did _she run?

"Well what?" Sheldon asked.

"Call me crazy," Kate remarked. She held out her hands. "I'm not much different than Amy. She and I talked about you. I agree with everything she's said; you're a sexy scientist with a beautiful mind. I know you dislike physical contact though so…"

Sheldon gave her a look that was unfathomable.

"As right as you are about me," said Sheldon, "although I don't exactly know how to proceed to reply to your first few comments, I'm going to rely on the fact that nothing here will be repeated after it's said."

"What's said?" Kate said quietly. "You didn't experience anything when you hugged me except gratification for the batarangs."

"Kate Burns, you have no idea how wrong you are," Sheldon responded sternly. "I do admit my physiological reactions to you are, shall we say, foreign to me but they're certainly not unfamiliar."

Kate gave him a perplexed look.

"I'll level with you," said Kate slowly. "Just as long as you level with me."

"Very well," said Sheldon.

Kate closed the bedroom door so if someone walked into the apartment, they'd not walk in on their discussion.

"I think the easiest way to….um…go about this conversation is being direct," said Kate. "It seems to work wonders for Amy, so I'll try that."

"Good," said Sheldon, looking relieved. "I'm glad. I can't stand it when Penny and Amy try to play the cards step by step, or 'beating around the bush' as one would say. Direction is the best way to get through these awkward cataclysmic situations."

Kate smiled shyly.

"Are you attracted to me in any physical form?" asked Kate.

"Of course," said Sheldon. He looked a little shy though, as though admitting it was stressful for him. "But I do believe the mind is more attractive, and Kate, you have a beautiful mind. It's not unlike Madam Curie, who won the Nobel Prize for Physics, one of the most aspiring physicists of all time."

Kate sighed.

"Sheldon, don't diverge from the topic."

"Sorry."

Kate crossed her arms.

"I don't know where to go from here," said Kate quietly. "It's there, it's in the open."

Sheldon gave her a look of consideration, but the same expression could be said when he was curious about something and the next question came out without any resolve.

"Kate, are you considering a sexual relationship with me?"

She stared at Sheldon.

"Excuse me?"

"It's not uncommon for friends to have sexual relationships," said Sheldon pointedly. "For instance, Leslie Winkle and Howard Wolowitz had a sexual relationship which was, granted, short-lived and resulted in Howard crying like a little girl. Penny and Leonard had one at one point but according to Penny, they never did, but the definition lies there. As I perceive it to be, one calls the other a friend with benefits."

Kate stared at him still.

"Sheldon, I want to make something very clear," Kate said slowly. "As imminently practical as a friend with benefits is, I never associate myself with that."

Sheldon looked at her.

"So you propose something less practical?"

"Sheldon, I'm not proposing anything!" Kate returned. "I don't want anything to be awkward between us."

"Isn't it awkward talking about this right now?"

"Of course it is," said Kate.

"Oh, so it's not just me," returned Sheldon. He looked a little relieved but at the same time, seemed tense.

Kate thought for a moment.

"Sheldon…"

"Yes?"

She looked at him.

"Let's eat dinner," said Kate. "I'm hungry."

"I am too; in addition, it'll take our minds off from this discomforting topic."

Kate nodded. Sheldon walked out of the bedroom and Kate glanced at his caboose as he walked. Amy was right; he was very, very, sexy.

Kate ate in the armchair normally occupied by Leonard. Sheldon was in his spot of course. The conversation between the two of them was gone and they were silent as ever. The Chinese food was still being consumed between them. When Kate had finished, she stood and offered to take his plate.

"Thank you," Sheldon said, smiling.

"You're welcome." Kate said. She took it and walked into the kitchen. She felt eyes on her as she put the plates in the dishwasher. When she came back, Sheldon was up and looking at the grease boards again, eyeing the equation before him.

"What is it?" asked Kate, longing to put a topic in the mix of an awkward situation.

"It's an equation that adds another piece to the puzzle that when solved, it will soon confirm string theory," Sheldon explained. He turned to her, his arms crossed and his right hand posing as a stand for his chin. "I've been working on it for hours."

"Are you stuck?" asked Kate.

"No," said Sheldon. "It's a matter of finding the answer. When I'm circling in an infinite cycle of possible answers, I'm not stuck. It's when I can't come up with a possible answer to denote the other answers that halt me."

Kate shrugged her shoulders, understanding the difference. She watched him concentrate on the problem. It was so stupid. She could watch him, and just by watching him mentally task was making her feel hot again. He knew she was magnetized to him—he knew it, and knowing this, Kate was even more attracted to him. He was mouthing numbers and words, talking aloud quietly as to solve the problem orally.

Sheldon touched his neck, making a mediocre small massage of the muscle but only to have his hand returning to it a few minutes later. Kate thought of Amy's idea: the neck massage could release a mimic of what men uttered during sex. If that was true, Kate's opportunity had revealed itself.

Sheldon sat in his spot, still thinking. Kate was sitting in the middle of the cushion, and when he sat so close to her, she felt red in the face. Why did her body react so quickly to him? He hadn't even touched her for another hour, and the rising butterflies in her stomach were so ever increasing in number and height.

Kate stood and circled around the couch when Sheldon made another effort of massing his neck. He glanced when she'd gotten up but his eyes returned to the grease boards yet again. Kate went to the grease board, and looked at the formula he'd devised.

"Have you ever thought about working backwards?" Kate suggested. "Work from string theory's result back to the beginning of the equation, and then counter back to the middle to solve the variable that's indefinite for the present."

Sheldon joined her at the grease boards. He made a small 'hmmm', and Kate knew she had hit a button that unveiled the part that had Sheldon at a stalemate, for he uncapped the marker and began scribbling away.

It was eight-thirty at night and Sheldon was erasing, redrawing, erasing, rewriting—Kate sat on the couch, reading medical blogs.

Sheldon sighed.

"What?"

"Almost had it," said Sheldon disappointedly. He made another effort to massage his neck, and sat in his spot again.

"Is your neck okay?" asked Kate.

"It's stiff," Sheldon said, glancing at her.

"Rather than breaking your arm over your back to get rid of it," said Kate smoothly, "I could propose an alternative."

Sheldon glanced at her suspiciously.

"I thought you and I would precede the lack of touching after what had happened this afternoon," Sheldon stated.

Kate looked to her left at him.

"Are you dispelling my alternative because of what happened this afternoon or are you countering it because it'd include my hands touching your neck?" Kate asked, holding up her hands and wiggling her slender, pointed fingers. "I'm sad to say I don't carry latex gloves with me; since the hospital's lease to another company, they've changed latex to vinyl, and I'm allergic to it."

Sheldon glanced at her.

"I was pointing out, Kate that although I have a restraint on my baser urges, you are not."

"I've lasted this long," said Kate curtly. "Besides, you can't chastise me for having sexual urges when it's practically biological. Neither you or Mother Nature or Freud could figure out a cure, even if you put your mind to it."

"On a contrary," returned Sheldon. "I have a cure. It includes a scalpel."

Kate looked at him with what began as a frown and turned into a smirk. Sheldon scooted a little towards the arm of the couch, away from her when the mischief played on the curves of her mouth.

"Fine, I yield," said Kate. "You have more restraint. So you won't have a problem if I gave you a free neck massage?"

Sheldon shook his head.

"If it means getting the crick out of my neck, you don't even have to wear gloves. Have at it." He said. His tone towards the end sounded almost like a challenge.

Kate stood and circled behind the couch. She was about to touch her hands to his neck before he leaned his head back and looked up at her.

"Just don't paralyze me," Sheldon warned.

"I won't paralyze you," said Kate.

"Promise?"

"Yes," said Kate.

He returned his gaze to the grease boards, more like pushing his mind to the fractions rather than focusing on her touch. He seemed to brace himself for the touch, as though it was a shot ready to inject itself into his dermatology. Kate placed her thumbs to the nape of his neck, rubbed down into the tissue, north and south movements. Kate saw his hand on the arm of the chair clench.

"If it makes you feel any better," Kate offered, "my hands are clean."

"You would think it'd make me feel better," Sheldon returned, "but it doesn't seem offer any reprieve."

Kate lowered her hands to his shoulders, adjacent to his neck, and rubbed against the bones. Sheldon exhaled a sigh; Kate's heart almost leapt out of her chest, and the butterflies had returned from their temporary migration, right back into her stomach. Kate smiled when Sheldon placed his hands on his knees, the position he normally rested in when he was comfortable.

She had no massage therapeutic lessons to go back on but her knowledge of the anatomical body was enough for her to makeshift her hands to the muscles she knew to regularly stiffen. Her medical degree was worth a damn after all.

Sheldon was particularly stiff between the nape of his neck and his scapula, around the shoulder blade. Her thumbs move gently in a circular motion and Sheldon moaned quietly, a sound that was Kate's cue to keep going. When her thumbed bore down on the muscle, his back slightly arched.

"Oh yes," Sheldon muttered.

Kate's stomach did ten flips in the past second she'd heard him. She momentarily stopped, taken by the shock that Amy had been correct.

Sheldon leaned his head back, looking up at her.

"Don't stop," he pleaded.

Kate continued and Sheldon's head remained on the back of the couch, his eyes closing when Kate continued her ministrations. He gave a slight groan she bore down her fingertips into his shoulders, and another when she returned her hands to his neck. He was her puppet for now, as she lowered his head and returned her hands to the nape, moving her fingers in according to where she felt the knots.

"Dear lord," he muttered again. "I should have had you do this a long time ago."

"It wouldn't have taken as long as if you admitted your attraction to me a long time ago," Kate said coolly.

"Don't talk, keep rubbing," Sheldon stated.

Kate grinned broadly. Sheldon touched her hands with his, ceasing her proceedings; the fact their fingers were touching paused Kate, and his glance up at her was almost insistant.

"What?" Kate muttered.

"I'm going to ask as a one-time occurrence something of you that might cross a boundary," Sheldon said slowly.

"Ask me," Kate returned breathlessly.

Sheldon patted the seat beside him casually and she sat where he marked for her. Sheldon turned his back on her and Kate was surprised at his nonverbal gesture but she understood his proposal. She touched the nape of his neck where he began her ministrations initially, and repeated her process then continued where he'd silently indicated. Her hands moved down his back in long strokes, digging her fingertips into what miscues referred to as a 'Deep Tissue' massage.

Sheldon moaned loudly this time, lacking shame of any. It was breaking down Kate; her stomach was doing continuous flips—it was the damn Olympics down there.

"Oh yes," Sheldon uttered aloud. He gripped the arm of the couch and would push against Kate's hands; she was having a heart attack, she was sure of it. She felt his muscles underneath her fingers through his shirt; he was definitely toned.

She wanted him right then and there. It took fifteen minutes of her strength and will power not to jump his bones that present time. Finally, he took mercy and said he felt much better. Kate returned her hands to their rightful owner, her face feeling more than hot. The heat stroke she experienced was further down, and she crossed her legs. He knew she was attracted to her; shit, they even admitted it to one another.

Still, Kate was hoping he didn't know. Sheldon put his back against the pillow in his spot and turned to her.

"If you weren't a renowned medical doctor," Sheldon pointed out casually, "you'd have made an excellent massage therapist."

"Thank you, Sheldon."

"Are you all right?" asked Sheldon, looking at her with concern.

"Fine…I'm fine, Sheldon." Kate said. Still, her shaking hands said otherwise. "I'm going to er…I mean…hmmm…" She cleared her throat, and thought about her words before she said them this time. "I'm going to take another shower."

Sheldon gazed at her.

"You've already taken one," he pointed out. "Then again, one could not have too many showers, so by all means…"

Kate smiled weakly at him and ran into the bathroom, not before snagging a pair of pajamas, and closing and locking the door.


	25. Metaphorical Cookies

Chapter Twenty-Five: Metaphorical Cookies

Sheldon had long ago suppressed to his mind that there was no way he could be sexually stimulated and act on it; although the fact remained he'd admitted that his stimulant was Kate. Her hands on his neck and back had caused his body to be reduced to tingles and heat. He wasn't as refreshed or feeling better as he had expressed; it was a façade to keep the momentum from increasing. Sheldon felt the heat return to his face when Kate rushed out of the living room for the second time; she practically ran against the wall to keep her limbs from falling to the floor.

This normally made a man feel good about himself, that the sexual energy he manipulated would deduce a beautiful surgeon such as Kate to nothing but inflammable jelly. But as anyone would know, Sheldon was no ordinary man. In fact, he almost resented himself for feeling such attraction—the magnetism of the two poles was too strong, and he needed a repellant. Otherwise, he would consume alcohol and do what men did to relieve their guiltless pleasures: blame it on the booze.

Sheldon glanced at the grease boards, taking his mind off the situation and returning it to the field he understood, favored, and loved. The science was easy; for some reason, the stiff in his neck and back had become the variable that proved to be the only barrier between him and the problem.

Sheldon was smiling when Kate came out of the bathroom in her pajamas; she wore Batman sleep pants and a black spaghetti tank top. Her blonde hair was darker as it was wet, matted against her shoulders and hanging just above the middle of her back. Sheldon was over his sexual animosities, he was excited, pointing to the board.

"I figured it out," said Sheldon, grinning.

"Figured what out?" asked Kate.

"The equation," he said. "Working backwards—it was as though the stiffness in my neck was pinpointing my concentration; since its disappearance, I've managed to come up with an elegant solution." He put his hands on his hips, looking at the board with gratification.

"Congrats," said Kate simply. She pulled all of her hair to one shoulder and moved through the living room, opening the refrigerator.

Sheldon watched her simply to see what she would do. He caught himself watching her hands edge the door of the refrigerator as she peered into it, taking out the gallon of milk and then after placing the milk on the counter, she closed the refrigerator door. She silently moved to the cabinets, removed a box of cookies, and placed it beside the gallon of milk.

"Kate, what are you doing?" asked Sheldon.

"Eating cookies and milk," said Kate as though this was obvious.

"I can see _that_," said Sheldon smoothly. Kate was acting unlike herself. She didn't seem to be the type that would resort to food for emotional support, neither to drinking as Penny so frequently did. Rather, she confronted the situation dead-on.

"If it's obvious," Kate stated slowly, taking out ten oreo cookies for her on a napkin, "then why did you ask?"

Sheldon didn't dignify her sarcastic question with a response. Instead, he capped the marker and placed it in his pencil cup on the desk, which included pens, highlighters, Expo markers, and Sharpies. He sat on a stool in front of her.

"I'm curious," Sheldon replied. "Unless my curiosity has stepped over an imaginary contextual line then it proves to be a valid question. Why are you eating that many cookies?"

Kate looked at him; she looked exhausted.

"I'm hungry," she said quietly.

"Why not make a healthier snack?" asked Sheldon.

"I prefer cookies."

"They're not exactly healthy," Sheldon stated. "In fact, cookies, doughnuts and the like are addictive sweets which contain the number of calories that cause the pleasure centers to overpower the brain, which lulls the body into an appetite for them, causing malnourishment and obesity. People wonder why the marketing system has eluded placing a price on healthier products, including a sandwich, lower than those of sweets, such as cookies. By eating ten, you are practically stifling your nervous system."

"I don't want a sandwich," Kate muttered. "I want cookies."

"I strongly advise a sandwich," Sheldon remarked before she took the sweeties in her hands.

"I want cookies now," Kate remarked with an undertone of frustration. "I don't want to wait for the cookies, I'm hungry for them now. I don't want a sandwich. If I wanted a flipping sandwich, I'd take the flipping sandwich, but right now, I want the damn cookie!"

Sheldon looked at her with an expression of surprise and fear. Kate glared at him and ate the cookie after saying so. Her expressive passion for the sweets was clearly an undertone for something else. Although Sheldon was naïve at times, he knew Kate's metaphor to a cookie similar to their situation involving…well that.

"Fine," said Sheldon. "If that's what you want, I very well can't stop you." He opened the refrigerator and put the gallon of milk back inside the side door. When he turned to her, Kate wasn't eating them as she'd been a minute ago.

"I'm going to bed," said Sheldon. "Good night, Kate."

"Good night, Sheldon." Kate returned their normal good-byes.

Sheldon glanced at her one more time and went to bed. Kate, on the other hand, walked out of the apartment, taking her keys with her, and closed the door on her way out. She stood in the hall, sexually frustrated, wanting Sheldon badly.

She then knocked on Penny's door. She needed some girl-talk—emergency stat.


	26. Lucid Apparition

Chapter Twenty-Six: The Lucid Apparition

Sheldon lied in bed, his eyes closed, his breathing slightly rapid. He was dreaming.

_Kate was eating cookies, the Oreo sweets crumbling on the napkin provided on the cabinet. She didn't hungry; in fact, she didn't seem to want the cookies. Still, she ate them. She wore a black cocktail dress, a necklace worn around her neck that had the Flash emblem as a pendant hanging in the center of the gold chain. Kate's hair was pulled up in a blonde braid. _

_Sheldon entered the kitchen, seeing her eat twenty cookies in ten minutes. Her eyes reflected back at him; Sheldon was mesmerized. She didn't acknowledge him after he watched her; instead, she still ate those cookies, licking the icing between before taking the two cookies into her mouth completely._

_He sat on the stool in front of her._

"_Why are you eating all of those cookies?" asked Sheldon. _

"_Why are you curious?" Kate returned nonchalantly. She sounded happy, a smile reflected on her lips. _

"_I'm a scientist, Kate," Sheldon replied. "I have a natural curiosity for all things in life."_

"_I disagree," she responded. "Curiosity is only as valid as you make it to be, and as far as I can see, it's not even an acquired qualification."_

_Sheldon stared at her. Kate insulted him? This must be a dream, definitely._

"_Why do you say that?" Sheldon stated curtly. "I _am _curious. True, I don't act on it but I'm not a dog or a cat that sniffs every behind of every animal they locate; not only am I not a dog but if I were to be a dog, I would find that going past my comfort zone."_

"_I'm not talking about dogs," said Kate coolly. She smiled. "I'm talking about me."_

"_You?" Sheldon responded. "Why would I be curious about you?"_

_Kate grinned as though this answer hidden in one of the cookies that laid before him. _

"_What's not to be curious about me?" Kate returned. Her voice had reflected a hint of something that Sheldon had not heard before. It was gentle, yes, even remotely amusing. But her voice was more…it had a purr to it. _

"_Well," Sheldon said. He couldn't come up with a reason just then. _

"_Well—that's not exactly the answer I was looking for." Kate returned. She frowned. "I'll be direct as we've always been with each other. Just because we have this chemistry and magnetism doesn't mean we can't continue to be direct, right?"_

"_Correct," Sheldon said. This Kate saw reason at least, even if she did…purr._

"_If I can't have a sexual relationship with you, Sheldon, there's no point in me lingering about, hoping you'll have your with me," Kate returned coldly. "You think you're a robot, and you say you have no human baser urges but that's obviously wrong, as you do admit your attraction to me. What you don't understand is that I don't have to wait for your evolution to match mine—I'm pretty, smart, fun to be around, and I can have anyone. That's what makes me attractive, you know."_

"_I have to disagree," said Sheldon curtly. _

"_With what statement?" asked Kate; "I've stated many of them."_

_Sheldon frowned._

"_I'm not succumbing to sexual advances to keep you around; I find it wrong." _

"_Wrong?" Kate repeated incredulously. "Wrong? You find that wrong?" _

"_I'm guessing by your repetition that you disagree with that as well," Sheldon remarked reproachfully._

_Kate circled the table to meet him. She moved between his legs and Sheldon was utterly perplexed, but also uncomfortable. He felt the numbing in his fingers, the tingling as well. His mind was a little fuzzy—that was odd. _

"_You have a natural scientific inquiry to anything that's new or mind-boggling, Sheldon," said Kate quietly. "You express it passionately in everything, but when you see me, you say you're not curious." She touched his neck, dropped her hands over his shoulders, chest, and to his thighs. Sheldon stared at her, frozen._

"_You'd be surprised what I can do, Sheldon," said Kate. "A known fact is that people who participate in sexual activity are relieved of stress, depression, and live longer." She smirked at him. "In addition"—her face was only centimeters from his—"I'm a fast learner, not some dim-witted tramp. I can make your body experience pleasure like you've never known before."_

_Sheldon stared at her._

"_If it's fine by me to say," Sheldon said quietly. "There are things one must keep unknown so as to not…"_

"_Sheldon," Kate said. "Shut up." She pulled him into a long deep kiss; one hand moved from his thigh and touched him just above his waistline; she briefly lowered her fingers over the small bulge of his pants; Sheldon didn't move; he couldn't._

"_Even if you deny it," Kate whispered, her voice echoing, "You'll become curious enough to want it." _

_Sheldon moaned quietly when her hand groped him and—_

Sheldon awoke immediately, sitting straight up. He glanced down and frowned. Damn that woman. He voiced to himself the words of Kohlinar but not even that seemed to help. The apparition in the dream was so real—and the touch, he could practically still feel her.

He laid back down and sighed. Kate was definitely a vixen. That's all he could muster before he went back to sleep.


	27. Aggravated Curiosity

Chapter Twenty-Seven: Aggravated Curiosity

Penny handed Kate a glass of milk so she could finish the other five Oreo cookies. After giving Kate the glass, Penny sat beside her. Kate wore the same pajamas, batman of course, and was munching the cookies as though they were people doomed to be munched angrily in the mouth then gulped violently with the flood of calcium-rich liquid. Penny wore pink shorts and a white shirt with a pink robe wrapped around her; Leonard was in the bedroom, snoring.

"So," said Penny, watching Kate finish the massacre of sweets. "You actually brought up the sexual thing with Dr. Wack-a-doodle?"

"Yes," Kate said.

"Why?"

"It wasn't the first conversation," Kate remarked defensively. "It was the last thing I wanted to talk about. But since our girl sleepover—or whatever you call it—and Amy's slip of how Sheldon liked me that way, I didn't think it was possible at first." She frowned. "I tried telling myself I didn't feel that way either."

"It's your body's nature, Kate. You can't help who you feel attracted to," Penny responded.

"Sheldon can."

"Wrong," Penny noted. She smiled. "Sheldon _thinks _he can. If he could, he wouldn't do that…what does he call it?"

"Look to Kohlinar?" asked Kate, finishing Penny's thought.

"Yeah," said Penny.

Kate shook her head and said, "That's his way of dealing with it."

"So how did it come up?" asked Penny, taking Kate's empty glass. "Do you want another refill?"

"I'm fine," Kate replied.

Penny stood and put the glass in the sink and took out something more powerful. She offered a glass of tequila and Kate refused once again. Penny instead took the drink and downed it in three gulps, to Kate's amusement.

"Well, I'd gone to the comic book store shortly after getting dinner," Kate explained, "and Stuart had saved something for me. It was a minted box of three batarangs that made it in Christopher Nolan's Batman films. I thought Sheldon might like it; I had the feeling we were a little awkward so to put off the tension, I gave it to him."

Penny nodded, following the story.

"So what did it?" Penny asked. "What put it out there?"

"He hugged me," Kate remarked.

"You got a 'Sheldon' hug?" Penny exclaimed, grinning broadly.

"Yes," said Kate. "It happened so fast and we were so close. I got that feeling down there, you know."

"Gotcha," Penny said, winking.

"Thoughts came to my head and I ran into the bathroom, took a cold shower; that seemed to do it at first," Kate stated. "But then I dressed and he came into my bedroom and we had to both acknowledge the awkwardness in the living room assorted with the hug. It'd caused some trepidation and he asked if I considered having a sexual relationship with him."

"Really?" Penny said, surprised. "He was offering?"

"No, it was more curiosity than a proposition. I'd have taken it though if it had been."

Penny nodded. She said, "I gotcha. Keep going."

"Well, he'd admitted openly that he was attracted to me and I to him. Didn't go into detail—I didn't bother asking him all of it because if he was gutsy enough to admit it to me, I figured there's nothing else to talk about. We ate dinner, had no conversation, and then I noticed he was showing signs of a stiff neck. So…"

Kate explained how she offered to give Sheldon a neck massage and the slight argument that ensued about who could have restraint and who didn't.

Penny gave her a look.

"You two argued over who had more restraint?" Penny inquired.

Kate replied defensively, "At that moment, it seemed I had a good grip of myself."

Kate then explained her feelings as she'd given Sheldon a neck massage, and then eventually, the shoulder massage. Penny made a face that simply expressed more surprise and utter acceptance that Sheldon let Kate touch him in a way that he'd not so quickly allowed Amy to do. And they'd dated for two years.

"I enjoyed myself," Kate admitted. She shuddered, adding, "I just wish he could admit that he felt the same way towards me. But he won't touch me; I had to initiate it."

"Well, men eventually get curious. As alienated as Sheldon can be, Kate, he's still somewhat human and still somewhat of a man," Penny reasoned. She inclined her head to Leonard. "It doesn't take much to get his rocks off but even Sheldon has a pleasure center somewhere in his body, even if you have to look deep within to find it."

Kate nodded.

"I suppose." She sighed. "We had an interesting discussion about my cookies—although it turned out to be more of an argument. I don't think he got the innuendo."

"What innuendo?"

"I told him I was hungry for cookies, not the sandwich he'd pre-offered, and that if I wanted the damn cookies, I'd take the damn cookies." Kate said. She winced. "I feel that if I forced myself on Sheldon, he'd not take it so lightly."

Penny nodded in agreement.

"Well," Penny stated. "You can _make _him want you."

"Seduce him, you mean," Kate replied.

"Exactly," Penny said. "From what I gather though, you've already done enough if Sheldon has already openly admitted to you that he's sexually aroused by your female form."

"What did Amy do to seduce him?" Kate responded.

"She did everything you've done," Penny stated unhelpfully. "You already abide by his schedule and you drive him everywhere. You don't really object to anything he does—you're practically a live-in girlfriend."

Kate nodded. She supposed in some ways she was but in Sheldon's terms, she was still a friend, his not-girlfriend, his roommate. She didn't want to be his roommate. She didn't want to be his friend. She wanted something more, to advance their levels, be romantically involved. She'd already noted her passionate side for him, but her hunger was strangling her insides and it'd only begin to break her down.

"Penny," said Kate slowly. "What would you do if Leonard and you were attracted to each other but Leonard hesitated regularly in having sex with you? What would you do?"

Penny looked unsure, saying, "Kate, I've never had that problem. Guys have always wanted to have sex with me."

"Same here, until now," Kate replied.

"Sheldon is Sheldon, Kate. Don't know what to tell ya." Penny returned.

Kate sighed. Penny was right of course.

"Well, thanks for the talk. I'm going to bed now. Good night, Penn."

"'Night, Kate." Penny said.

Kate returned home in two minutes. She put the keys in the bowl and sat with frustration on the couch. She wanted him, badly. Her mind cascaded images of them, naked in her bedroom, toiling. Her belly did flips, her feet curled with the sensation, and her fingers tingled. She wanted Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D. And she'd have him, eventually. She wasn't going to force it though, no. She wasn't that way. She wanted him to come to her. His curiosity would eventually unfold.

The guys were having a day of old-days fashioned video games, which included _Sonic: The Hedgehog_, _Mario_, and other games that resembled the like. Howard, Leonard and Sheldon occupied the couch; Raj was on the floor; Kate sat in Sheldon's desk chair and Penny was in the armchair, criss-crossed with her laptop on her legs.

Kate watched the Mario game but her mind was somewhere else. Since the argument over cookies had transpired, which had been two days ago, Kate's impending plan to woo Sheldon had come to a tenfold idea. Her mind had already been made up that she'd eventually get Sheldon in bed with her, even if it did involve a small shot of alcohol. She wanted him that bad; she was hard-up for a sneak attack. She would first use simple, sweet tactics but if that failed, her sneaky side would hinder.

Another thing since two days had passed, Kate had reverted to not speaking to Sheldon, owing to the fact that whenever the two were left alone, her sexual desire peaked and she would have flashing images of their copulation like an epileptic seizure.

Sheldon had finished his turn in playing Mario and passed the controller to Raj, who downed a drinking flask of beer, before taking the remote and starting his turn. Kate hadn't been paying attention the world number they were on, and frankly, she didn't care.

Penny was busy playing Age of Conan, having long ago been hooked to the game, although she took more breaks now and days. Kate looked at her briefly then stood to go into the kitchen. Like before, she was quiet. It was unlike her for she normally became conversational when Penny was present, or even when Howard tried some pick up lines on her just to be flirtatious and coy.

Kate was opposite: withdraw, quiet, and kept to herself.

Penny glanced at Kate, who was obviously in a world of her own. Sheldon noticed Kate in the kitchen and stood to join her.

"Did I do something wrong?" asked Sheldon quietly.

Kate looked around at him.

"Of course not," she replied. "Why do you ask?"

"We're roommates, Kate. I've stipulated to my end of the agreement by asking how you are each day and for the past two days, you've rendered me without a positive reply or negative equivocation. The silent treatment from a friend would instigate that I've wronged you in some way, and yet, although I've mounted the possibilities, none of them state any place of being so." Sheldon explained.

He clasped his hands together and looked at her.

"I only ask because I'm dully uncomfortable," Sheldon stated. "Your lack of chitter chatter with Penny or contempt remarks towards Wolowitz is uncharacteristic of you."

Kate took out a bottle of water wordlessly. She ignored the need to ogle his lean exterior and looked him straight in the eye.

"Sheldon," she said softly. "If I rendered to you an annoyance or a fault, would you even care?"

"Of course I would," Sheldon stated offensively. "You're my friend, and my roommate. I'm obligated to be naturally concerned for your welfare."

Kate frowned.

"Obligations are responsibilities. I don't want you to feel obligated towards me; I want you to want to be worried about me."

"That's a little obvious, isn't it?" Sheldon responded. "I told you the cookies would make your brain centers crazy, but you—

"Oh for god's sake, Sheldon, it's not the cookies anymore!" Kate snapped. Okay, so her slow plan of having him hadn't worked out. Instead, she'd go about it a different way. "It's not the damn cookies, or the sandwich. It's not anything like that!"

Sheldon licked his lips nervously, which the action made Kate go crazy.

"There! That! Stop doing that!" Kate stated, pointing to him.

"Stop doing what?" Sheldon replied, slightly alarmed by her testy behavior, which had gained the eyes of the companions' onlookers in the living room.

"Doing whatever the hell you're doing!" Kate hissed.

"I'm doing what I'm doing every day," Sheldon replied. He sounded confused.

Kate slammed her bottle of water on the counter.

"I know!" She said exasperatedly. "But I swear you're doing it on purpose!"

"Doing what on purpose?" Sheldon asked.

Kate stared at him incredulously.

"You know!" Kate remarked. She was breathless, incoherent, and lacking the words to say what she wanted to say. "I—You—Look I'm just—I can't…" She threw her hands in the air and pushed him aside. "I need to get out." She strode across the living room and grabbed the keys from the bowl, opened the door and slammed it shut on her way out.

Sheldon looked after her, clearly confused, but even more discomforted by Kate's personality change. He sat back down and took his turn for Mario.

"What was that about?" asked Howard, glancing from the door to Sheldon.

"I don't know," Sheldon responded.

"Oh, sweetie, don't act like you don't know," Penny stated slowly.

The group looked up at her, including Sheldon.

"Act like I don't know what?"

Leonard and Raj stared at each other while Howard was eager to know what had made Kate so upset with Sheldon.

Penny smirked and said, "Kate's sexually frustrated and Sheldon here refuses to satisfy her."

Raj looked at Sheldon.

"Are you crazy?"

"I'm not crazy; my mother had me tested." Sheldon responded as though he'd had himself pre-recorded. Then he turned to Penny. "And you're wrong; Kate and I discussed that matter highly. How do you even know about it?"

"Kate came to me after you chastised her about her cookies," Penny said. She looked at Howard and added, "That's not a dirty reference, either." She turned to Sheldon.

"Wait, wait, wait, Kate likes Sheldon?" Leonard inquired.

"She wants to have sex with him?" Raj asked.

"What about Kate's cookies?" Howard said.

Sheldon looked at a loss and looked at Penny.

"Kate and I spoke in the highest confidence," said Sheldon. "Good grief; when you girls get together, not even confidential government information can be kept in a circle."

Penny looked at Sheldon.

"You admitted to Kate you were attracted to her, Sheldon. If you're so turned on by her, why not do something about it?"

"Hold on!" Sheldon demanded. He paused the game and looked at Penny. "I'll have you know that what transpires between Kate and me only goes so far as to reaching that front door. Second, Kate does not rile my loins, as you put it in laments terms. And third, I'm not doing anything about it; I'm a man of science, not the answer to Kate's biological needs."

"Oh, you have no idea how wrong you are," Leonard said, laughing.

Sheldon glared at him.

"On a contrary, Leonard; I believe my theories are correct. Kate's menstruating; that's my only inference."

"She's not menstruating," Penny stated fact. "Sheldon, as long as you deny her what she wants, she's going to become more argumentative, and—not to mention—a bitch."

"Kate's an evolved creature like me, Penny; she merely has to adopt the practice of Kohlinar, practice it every day, and then she can dislodge her sexual deprivations elsewhere."

"Is that really what you believe?" Leonard posed.

"Or I can find her a different mate for her copulative desires," Sheldon said, providing an alternative.

Penny shook her head. She declared, "That's not going to work."

"It'd originally worked for Amy," Sheldon pointed out.

"That's because she was attracted at one point to Zack sexually," Penny reminded. "As the analogy goes, Kate only wants your cookies, not a sandwich or someone else's cookies."

"Cookies, Penny? Really? You're going to classify coitus to a high-caloric diet?"

Penny shook her head.

"No wonder why Kate's become a bit bitchy," Howard noted, seeing Penny's exasperated eye-roll. "Living with you and be attracted to you would drive me to bitchiness as well."

Sheldon looked at him abrasively. However, when the group had gone and Leonard only remained, playing the last game between he and Sheldon, Sheldon looked at Leonard, his face thoughtful and quiet.

"Leonard."

"Yeah?"

"May I include you into what's bothering me?" Sheldon asked.

"Does it involve the fact that you may be suffering from the same thing that Kate's suffering?" Leonard offered.

Sheldon looked at him but he ignored his question.

"I had a dream recently, of Kate."

"About her?" Leonard said, pausing the game. "What was it about?"

Sheldon gave him a look that reasoned obvious nature. Leonard seemed to have gotten the message quicker than normal and said with an understanding, "Oh."

"Yes," Sheldon mused.

"Did you…you know."

"Know what?"

Leonard shrugged off the awkwardness of the conversation.

"You know…Did you enjoy it?" asked Leonard.

Sheldon thought about it.

"In theory, I'd transgress to saying that if my dreams state actuality, then I'd presume to enjoy the activity but as the brain undergoes complete fantasy and derivation of reality in dreams, the theory only stands for itself, lacking proof and evidence."

"So find the proof," Leonard stated pointedly. "We're scientists; that's what we're always doing, is finding proof. You can't tell me that you're not curious as to what it feels like with Kate in bed."

Sheldon slowly turned to Leonard.

"Are you?"

"Am I what?"

"Curious about how Kate is during coitus?"

"Sheldon I can't answer that question," Leonard stated uncomfortably.

Sheldon looked at him, his face was serious. His dream had come back, the dream Kate reminding him that she could have anyone she wanted because she was attractive in physicality, mentality, emotionality, and sexuality.

"It's theoretical, hypothetical," Sheldon stated. "Are you curious about her?"

"Well…fine, yes, I am." Leonard said. "But Penny's more real to me than Kate. Kate and I would never happen."

"Damn right about that," Sheldon responded, standing up and walking into the kitchen for a bottle of water. Still, as he turned his back to Leonard, a look of smug satisfaction reigned on his lips.


	28. The Relationship Aggression

Chapter Twenty Eight: The Relationship Aggression

**Author's Note**: Would have updated sooner but I'm happy I went with the re-write of Chapter twenty-eight; I love this one so much more. Hold your breath, my lovelies! Thank you **Agdaelweasley **for your contribution of fanfiction to give me more ideas

Kate washed her hands of the bloody mess that made her gloves look a red tint; the splatter had landed mostly on her gloves and facial mask, as well as on her gown, but it had even gotten to the little bit of her neck that was shown in the surgeries. She scrubbed her hands vigorously with the antibacterial soap, if only just to feel clean again.

As she scrubbed them while towel-drying, she stepped out of the restroom and glanced at her reflection in the mirror above the sink. Her eyes were tired; the sleep she'd not received in the past week had made her exhaustion glaringly obvious. During the surgery performed, she was focused, her scalpel incising and her fingers stitching, but now as her thoughts returned to the normal life, Kate's mind was strung. She thought of Sheldon; how he would react if someone's blood contaminated the latex gloves, or even the apple of his neck. She thought of him, and his neck.

She walked out of the restroom in thought and inadvertently bumped into a colleague, Daisy, the older woman from the consignment shop Kate had associated with three months ago when she'd just started living with Sheldon. Daisy gave her a quick smile but left almost right after, a quick pace, a look of determination—a nurse on a mission. Kate looked after her and returned to the mission of getting to the car, and driving home.

Her mind was on Sheldon as she returned to the humble abode, and seeing him type on his computer—his fingers tapping the keys without hesitation or difficulty—made her loins burn greatly. God, she could go without it and then when she came to look at him, her hips were practically begging for a grinding.

Sheldon looked at her; evidently, he'd felt her eyes on him. Incidentally, he looked as uncomfortable as she did. In return, the two said nothing to each other. However, seeing Kate's worn haggard face and the look of her scrubs (for blood had seeped into her gowned protective equipment into the blue navy scrubs she wore currently), he looked worried; whether that was for her health and being or for the fact that blood was presently in his disinfected home, Kate wasn't sure.

"What happened?" Sheldon inquired.

"I did a surgery, Sheldon." Kate responded tiredly; she ignored the burning her groin.

"But you never come home covered in blood," Sheldon said, crinkling his nose at the blood spattered over her top.

"I know," Kate murmured. "I slit an artery and it went everywhere. I'm taking a shower."

"Hold on!" Sheldon said quickly. He sped from his desk to the kitchen, going under the sink into the cabinets and fetched a pair of rubber gloves and bleach, which he handed to Kate wordlessly. Kate nodded with a half-smile at his gesture; she continued to the bedroom to fetch her clothes and into the bathroom with the yellow rubber gloves and the bleach.

She showered and stepped out in a long knee-length tee shirt that had the Joker's card imprinted on the front. After turning off the constant dripping water faucet, Kate went down on her bare knees, slipped on the gloves, and sprayed the bleach in the shower, on the floor, and even on the toilet, knowing Sheldon's quirk about germy bathrooms, especially when a woman in blood shredded her clothing. Kate knew the scrubs were ruined, even if she did put them in cold water and let them sit; they were long ago ruined when the blood seeped and set for more than eight hours. Kate had gone and worked a double—her sixteen hour shift had placed her in a state of exhaustion, aches, and mental exhaustion.

When she returned, her knees were red (the tile had granted no mercy) and she discarded the gloves into the sink to douse them with the same bleach, to which she placed back underneath the sink in the exact place Sheldon had removed it.

Sheldon, who had changed his seat from being at the desk, was now in his classified spot, looking relieved that Kate had returned. That was, until he saw her shaven, smooth legs and her weary face. With or without makeup, Sheldon regarded Kate as reasonably attractive. With it, she was pretty, in the conventional way a woman would be appealing. Without the makeup, however, Sheldon preferred; she looked more natural. Her eyelids were lowered in the state of exhaustion he perceived her to be in. He had the house to himself for a longer period of time than he'd ever received and he'd enjoyed the atmosphere without his mind wandering to more primitive things in nature, such as how Kate sighed while she occupied the armchair.

She sat in a slumped position; Sheldon chastised himself for noticing Kate's night shirt rose just a little more, so her knees were more exposed, and even the small part of her thigh just above her caps could be seen; even _those _looks smooth, the milky flesh making Sheldon quickly divert his eyes to his computer screen; he urged himself to stay on task, complete this email to Dr. Seibert.

Kate's eyes closed and she leaned her head back; Sheldon knew better but he looked at her anyway. He noticed the way her neck straightened as she placed her head back to sod off her physical tire. He said nothing to her though still.

However, he noticed that her physical exhaustion came deeper. She lowered her neck in its original position and her hands touched her neck as though she were trying to massage out a kink within; Sheldon knew the dull ache that regularly made a home to the mid-way point of his scapula and cranium.

Hearing her sigh with a hint of pain made Sheldon's hair on the back of his own neck stand on the ends; he thought of what Kate did for him when he felt the familiar stiffness. He bit the inside of his cheek though; the way the two of them felt for each other was a pressing stance to not go that route but Kate almost looked pitiful.

"Kate," Sheldon said finally, the name causing him to feel a little dazed when he said it.

"Hm?"

"Are you experiencing stiffness between your scapula and myofascial process?" asked Sheldon casually.

Kate opened her eyes and glanced at him with an abrupt glare.

"What does it look like to you, Sheldon?" she responded, not unlike Penny when he'd confronted her many a times and Penny react coldly to his innocent questions. Sheldon managed to shake it off.

"I don't know, Kate," Sheldon replied, turning his eyes from her to his computer. "You're practically wordless tonight, since you came home. I thought you'd have some information regarding your workplace, as Leonard regularly describes to me of his equivocations after his job."

Kate tilted her head and sat up straighter, her hands touching the bareness of her knees.

"Alright," she muttered. "I had a bad day at work." She sighed. "You don't have to act interested about my profession, Sheldon; I know that the activities of my job causes you mental distress."

Sheldon looked at her. Aw, she understood, but he felt obliged.

"On a contrary, Kate." Sheldon said. He closed his laptop. "Although you are correct in the presumption that your profession requires a day-on-day touching of men, women, and children, and the interaction with defecation, urination, and blood transfer, I'm obliged to ask about your day, as it is part of the Roommate Agreement."

Kate's eyes closed again but Sheldon perceived that it was out of mental exhaustion rather than physical.

"Ah, the roommate agreement," Kate mumbled. She leaned forward, her legs slightly separating and Sheldon looked away from her again; she didn't acknowledge this.

"Sheldon, I don't want you to be obliged to ask me anything. I'd rather you not ask about my day if you're not interested. For most people, that's considered apathy, not curiosity."

Sheldon met her eyes and she was definitely exhausted, for she shown no signs of stating the difference between apathy and curiosity. Kate was tired, all right. Again, she touched her neck in an attempt to defeat the tearing muscle and Sheldon, for once, felt the pulling of obligatory affects and yet the need to rid her of the burden.

"What's wrong with your neck?" Sheldon asked.

"Is that curiosity or obligation?" Kate stated, dropping her hand.

He tilted his head slightly and said, "I believe it's a bit of both."

Kate sighed, standing to her feet (which Sheldon also noticed they were bare and of Barbie- sized pointed, delicate, polished red). Sheldon watched her walk over to the couch and sit on the far side of the cushion. He was thankful for that.

"While transferring a patient from the stretcher to the table, I was mistaken into using bad body mechanics and as a consequence, I rendered my body the inability to support the weight of the patient; my neck and back experienced pain from lifting a 500 pound man." She frowned. "My fault, I admit, but admitting a fault is not contemporarily releasing me of the dull ache that rests between my clavicles."

Sheldon smiled; that was the Kate he knew.

"Why are you smiling, Sheldon?" asked Kate incredulously.

"Forgive me, Kate; I was not smiling at the experience for which you expressed was painful and irresponsible," Sheldon stated. He placed the laptop on the coffee table and turned to her completely, body and all. "For what reason were you transferring such a heavy mass by your lonesome, anyhow?"

Kate gave him an obvious look.

"I wasn't alone," Kate replied. "Three other surgical technicians were with me and they assisted."

"Maybe you chose the correct ergonomics and it was the surgical technicians that failed to lift responsibly," Sheldon noted.

Kate looked at him with a suspicious glance.

"Why are you blaming them?"

"I'm placing no blame on anyone," Sheldon returned, giving a half-shrug of a shoulder. "From what I understand, the social protocol of one to another expressing pain caused from an event, the person expressing pain is noting and the other suggests another person is to blame, rather than the one supposedly responsible. I've gathered this when two people converse the compared dislike of a common enemy, the two will gather hatred for the adversary and ultimately blame them for the problem, rather than the true fault of their own."

"Sheldon, I don't blame the techs or the fat guy for causing my neck pain," Kate responded, but Sheldon saw the slightest tug of a smile on her lips.

"Still, one has to throw the possibilities in the air—metaphorically, of course," Sheldon added as an afterthought.

"I know what a metaphor is," Kate said.

Sheldon smiled, saying, "It's a relief; you must beg my pardon, I'm so used to explaining figurative language to those less intellectual than myself. It's pleasing to know that I don't have to do such tedious things when I'm with you."

Kate smiled; but when she did and Sheldon thought of what he'd said, the atmosphere in the air became quite heavy. Sheldon smiled nervously.

"Sheldon," Kate said softly.

"Yes, Kate?"

"I was thinking," she said, her voice calculating and gentle. "Has it ever occurred to you, as it had with me, that our problem can be solved quite easily?"

Sheldon stiffened.

"I'm not engaging in coitus with you, Kate, no matter how primitive your urges are."

"I'm not talking about coitus," she replied smoothly. "Although the thought is subjective. No, I was going to propose that, on a base that you and I have many things in common, share a likeness for each other, you and I become more than just friends."

Sheldon looked at her for a moment.

"Kate," he began. He cleared his throat. "I understand that your human, primitive urges are adept. Comparatively, my own subliminal thoughts have been an undertone to what I could understand as base desires as well. In the Roommate Agreement I've designed, you and I are entitled to one-tier friendship request, which can be practically anything you want under legal circumstances."

"I know what it is," Kate said. "I read the contract."

Sheldon saw in her eyes something meaningful, something he should grasp, but he couldn't see it.

"All right, then you understand that if this is what you are asking for then that will be your one-time ask-only request."

"I understand, Sheldon." Kate returned.

"Alright, I…"

"Hold on!" Kate remarked, holding up her hand.

"What?"

"Remember what I said that I don't want you to be obligated to do anything for or with me?" Kate stated firmly.

"Of _course _I remember; I have eidetic memory."

"Good," she returned. Kate placed her hands on her knees and looked at him, her eyes were masked with desire, but her face confronted both firmness and calm. "Now, if you agree to partake in my request, I don't want the obligation. I want the willing."

"You're asking me to willingly take you to be my girlfriend?" Sheldon asked.

"We're not getting married; it's not a vow. But if you're going to be my boyfriend, I want you to do it because you want to, not because of the Roommate Agreement, as spell-binding as it is." Kate said. "I don't want the contract's say-so; I want yours."

Sheldon gazed at her.

"Fascinating," he said.

"So what is it?" Kate remarked calmly.

"Well, you've definitely put the contract in perspective; the one-tier friendship request I'd given Leonard was to teach him all about football; if I'd been given the same circumstances, I might've done differently," Sheldon said. "Fine."

"Fine?"

"I'll carry out your request."

"You don't get off that easy," Kate replied gently. "I want you to say it."

"Say what?"

"Ask me to be your girlfriend," Kate demanded.

"That seems a little over-the-top, doesn't it?" Sheldon returned.

Kate frowned and stood to her feet.

"Sheldon, if you can't ask, then you're not willingly taking out my request." Kate said. She began to walk out of the living room but Sheldon stood to his feet as well and grabbed her wrist, pulling him to her.

The aggressive act caught her off guard and she collided into him. Their bodies met in physical union and so did their faces; Kate's lips pressed against his and Sheldon didn't move. She broke off when she had realized what she had done.

"Sheldon, I—" Kate had begun to quickly apologize but instead, Sheldon pulled her to him again and their lips locked for as long as thirty seconds.

When Sheldon pulled back, Kate stared at him in disbelief. He licked his lips casually and looked thoughtfully at her.

"Strawberries," he stated curiously. He looked at her. "When did you eat strawberries?"

"It's not the fruit, Sheldon. It's the gum I chewed during work," Kate remarked breathlessly. She was surprised she could even manage a coherent thought, for her legs were still shaking and her lips still numbed with the touch of her roommate's kiss.

They stood awkwardly beside themselves and Sheldon sighed deeply.

"Well," he said business-like, "as you have no further argument on the matter, I'm going to pull up a Relationship Agreement." He glanced at Kate. "That is, unless you wish to partake in another reason as to why I, Dr. Sheldon Cooper, seem reluctant to your request?"

Sheldon sat down in the desk chair and opened his laptop. Kate still stared at him. After a beat, he glanced at her.

"Don't take this as a personal insult upon yourself but please be a lamb and fetch the mouthwash from the bathroom cabinet; as fascinating as it was to taste strawberry flavored tree sap, your mouth still arbors bacteria that calls it a happy home." He turned from her casually.

Kate wasn't even affronted by his comment. Numbly, she walked to and from the bathroom with the mouthwash, handing him a small cup and then leaning against the armchair with a dazed look in her eyes; her loins were on fire, burning deep inside. Again, she looked at Sheldon, who didn't seem remotely distracted as he typed up his and Kate's Relationship Agreement.

Sheldon typed remarkably fast and as Kate went into the kitchen to prepare dinner, Sheldon's mind was entirely focused. He stopped in mid-type and looked stunned. He _did _have focus. Holy Ceaser's ghost, he'd figured out the cure to his causative problem: Kate _was _the cure to his problem, who was, conveniently enough, Kate herself. Sheldon wondered if this Relationship Agreement was to release more curious ambiguities like that. The kiss he'd given Kate was pure instinct—to prove to her that he was dead-set serious, he'd done what he had pushed from his brilliant mind many days. Even though it left a burning, but pleasurable, center in the bit of belly, he could feel more focus and concentration recurring.

It was simple, pleasurable, and yet bitter as well. Sheldon shook his head. What kind of hell did he enter when his guilty pleasures partnered with the complex vixen in the kitchen?


	29. The Roommate-Relationship Sexual Clause

Chapter Twenty-Nine: The Roommate-Relationship Sexual Clause

**Author's Note: Sorry I didn't update the last two days; been a nutty weekend. So, here ya go :D Hope this makes up for my shortcomings of late ;) Rated M, just in case, and hope my lovelies will have a good time. **

Before the Relationship Agreement was drawn up, the news had spread throughout the group that Sheldon and Kate had gotten together as a couple, rather than the roommates they'd started out to be. It was Kate's interesting attitude the next morning that had made the group become suspicious. The clue that gave it away was when the whole team of nerds (and Penny) sat on the couch (but not in Sheldon's spot), arm chair, the two stools and the desk chair (which was where Kate sat), was when Sheldon strolled down the hall and handed Kate a rather thick stack of papers.

Howard and Raj glanced at the documents with surprise and indifference. Did Kate deserve the punishment of signing unlimited amounts of papers for a breach in the contract thus been signed by the two roommates was the original thought.

"I had to revise the Relationship Agreement," Sheldon said smoothly, handing Kate a pen, which he clicked and the ball point extracted. "Considering we're roommates, I had to devise a Roommate-Relationship Agreement, combining but not deducing the rights and amendments of the original Roommate Agreement. It's rather technical."

Kate looked at him, taking the pen from his hand. Their fingers touched ever so lightly and she felt a sudden bolt of electricity pin point to her mid-section but she didn't react so violently as her stomach and loins did.

However, Penny stood up quickly.

"You two are _together_!" Penny exclaimed.

The others hadn't responded so dramatically but their facial expressions were mixtures of gaped mouths, wide eyes, raised eyebrows, and in Amy's case, a little curious. Kate glanced past Sheldon to note their faces of surprise.

"Wh-When did that happen? How—?" Penny was flabbergasted, expelling questions from her mouth as though she was a bullet-shooting weapon held by a trigger-happy anarchist.

"I don't know why you are incoherent, Bestie," said Amy, who sat beside Penny on the couch; she sat in the middle cushion. Her face looked a little jealous—it had taken her a little over two years to get there with Sheldon, and Kate had gotten Sheldon's semi-heart in less than a year. It was a contriving jealousy that drove Amy to at first speak to Penny in envious irritation. When Penny glanced her way with the curiosity of being taken aback, Amy cleared her throat, also receiving the same looks from Leonard, Stuart, and Sheldon, who sat in his spot beside Amy.

The neurobiologist cleared her throat, becoming less embarrassed as she told the group in a fact-based tone, "The evidence proved clear that Sheldon and Kate were alike in ways and manners that the two would eventually form a set agreement on terms based between roommates and a relationship. Although,"—she looked at Sheldon boldly—"I'm a bit shocked that you've acquired her as your girlfriend after only knowing her for half a year before naming her so, whereas it took us two years of knowing each other before the Titanic hit the iceberg and we were able to date."

Sheldon gave her an ironic stare.

"Amy, Kate and I have conversed for exactly a year, one month, two days, and five hours; we've _lived_ together as _roommates _for six months." Sheldon replied reasonably.

"Still," Amy muttered. She looked at him plainly. "It'd have been just as appealing if we had done the same thing—still," she smiled at Kate politely, "Kudos for you, Kate."

"Thank you?" Kate remarked, unsure as to how to respond. She turned in the rolling chair and looked through the paper work.

"If you have any questions pertaining to the document," Sheldon said from his spot as he sat back in the cushion, "please, don't hesitate to ask. Everything must be clarified before one signs a document; a signature is the most binding of words."

"I know what a signature represents, Sheldon," Kate responded gently.

Sheldon made a small smile and the group looked at them.

"So," said Penny, grinning widely at Sheldon and Kate, "are you Keldon or Shate?"

"Beg pardon?" said Kate, turning around.

Amy then pointed out that it was similar as to what Penny had done while she and Sheldon had gone out, explaining that it was a combined word to symbolize the ship of the two, the letters of their names combined to represent the relationship. Kate looked at Penny, unaffected by it.

Howard looked at Sheldon from the ground.

"So, Sheldon, what kind of grounds is your relationship? Any sex?"

Kate felt her stomach turn but didn't dare hope to hear the answer she wanted to hear. Instead, she bore out their tones and paid attention to what she was agreeing to. In the agreement, Kate noticed that Sheldon's clause about hand-holding was for moral support during flu season or when one was under great emotional stress, provided that the reason was valid. There was another clause about cuddling, which was only when she or Sheldon (most likely herself) was, again, in need of emotional support. Kate saw that Sheldon had added a bit about copulation, and this had her stumped.

She didn't even dare bring this up as she couldn't stand the teasing she'd receive from Penny. Was it not punishable enough that when she saw Sheldon concentrating on a math problem or possibly, even, when his eyes were staring intently at the Star Trek movies that she felt she could receive the same gaze? It was an intense one, and Kate wanted that same attention on her. But asking Sheldon for an explanation as to why the agreement featured a sexual content was something one never voiced in front of the group, especially when Howard or Penny were in the room.

Bernadette, who'd remained quiet, sitting beside Howard, looked up at Amy.

"Amy? Are you jealous that Kate and Sheldon are now together?"

Sheldon looked from Bernadette to Amy, as though expecting an instant reply. Amy turned to Bernadette purposely ignoring Sheldon's gaze.

"I do admit that my jealousy extends from the fact that Kate and Sheldon have, so called, 'uped the ante' for their friendship-slash-relationship but otherwise, I'm happy for them." Amy said. She finally met Sheldon's gaze. "Congratulations."

"Thank you, Amy," Sheldon said, grinning. He looked at everyone. "All right, so let's have enough of that now, and watch something more interesting." He turned on the television, which featured Babylon Five. He glared and changed the channel to a Star Trek marathon, to which he responded, "Oh goody!"

Kate glanced his way and at the group, who still seemed affected that they now glanced between Sheldon and his girlfriend…Kate beamed; she was his girlfriend. That made her smile.

When the group disbanded to another region of the world, to Penny's apartment, Kate turned to Sheldon in the rolling chair; she stood with the agreement and sat on the coffee table, opposite of him. Sheldon looked at her with curiosity, as she blocked his viewing of the sci-fi marathon.

"Is something wrong?" Sheldon asked curiously.

Kate knew he would become impatient as he wanted to watch the marathon so she skipped directly to the point: "Why did you include a document about intercourse?"

Sheldon's impatience became slackened and his attention moved to her eyes when the I-word was brought to his ears. He seemed a bit uncomfortable.

"As one fellow intellectual to another, Kate," Sheldon said slowly. "You and I are highly evolved creatures. I included that in the agreement so should it ever arise then there would be no question as to what would happen before, during, or after the coitus."

Kate looked at him curiously. She handed him the document.

"Sheldon, intercourse isn't planned; it just happens."

"Kate, I'm not a hippie, and from what I've understood, neither are you. As superior beings, we are more in control of our baser urges than most, therefore, it doesn't 'just happen'." Sheldon replied. He handed the sheet of paper back to her.

She took it.

Sheldon watched her for a moment and he seemed to register what made her irksome.

"Kate, are you hesitant in signing because you're uncomfortable with the subtext, or are you hesitant in signing because…"

"Sheldon, I know you better, almost more than your own mother," Kate interrupted gently. She sat beside him, almost directly; their knees almost touched…almost. Sheldon looked at her, his face became pink.

"If you were truly under the impression that neither of us would succumb to our baser urges, then you'd not have put a text in there specifying it," Kate pointed out.

Sheldon shifted in his seat, placing his hands on his knees to which he was most comfortable. His shoulders stiffened, his back straightened, and he took the paper from her hands slowly.

"Kate," he said. "I know you to be a very smart woman. If you'd read the paper thoroughly, you'd know that in no way do I state that it will never happen." He seemed, the more, uncomfortable as he fiddled with the sheet in his hands, looking from her. "Never do I state in the document provided in my hands that neither party will deny their shortcomings to the situation, in spite of how dire the situation may be." His voice became awfully quiet, "You misread the text."

He handed her the document, placing his index finger on the text he read aloud: _Should either party become unable to restrain/deny/ignore their primitive urges, in order to solve the predicament both parties (inevitably) will face, the actions aforementioned shall be proceed in the utmost discretion._

Kate felt her stomach do an unexpected turn, and she looked up slowly from the text to look at Sheldon. He was giving her one of the intense gazes that he had when he was watching Star Trek; her stomach made another somersault, and her loins began to burn.


	30. Date Night Dare

Chapter Thirty: Date Night Dare

Sheldon's heart was racing. If not for the steadiness of his breathing or the trance he'd placed himself in, he'd assuredly called the police and ambulance for an immediate rescue to the hospital, as he'd have guessed an emergency state of tachycardia coupled with flu-symptoms. His face was burning, his stomach felt the combination of adrenaline rush and nausea; this was made for the reason that Kate looked at him from her middle cushion at him, her face still agape with shock.

He had thought the Roommate-Relationship Agreement was self-explanatory, but the clause regarding sexual intercourse might have been vague for Kate's superlative mind seemed blinded by the very subject it presented. Sheldon had versed his reasons mentally, hoping this would be beneficial to his health if Kate denied his rules. The results were unexpected; Kate had neither denied nor accepted his terms as far as coitus had been concerned; in fact, she seemed relatively surprised that he had included the matter at all.

He thought of every scenario except this one, where her amazed and impressed face—her eyes widened with impressive circumference and her lips slightly parted with the shock mentioned earlier. Sheldon hadn't expected his symptoms—why was _he _the one that was shocked for christ's sake? Although he'd admitted earlier than the kiss he'd engaged a day ago with Kate had taken him by surprise as well; it was the only time he'd remembered acting on instinct. It'd been a rush all right, and purely out of his comfort zone, but he also relished the affect it'd resulted when he touched his lips against hers.

Kate looked at him, her shock dissolving a few seconds after.

"Sheldon," Kate said slowly. "You even remotely predict the event of you and me engaging in such a practice as copulation?" It didn't sound like disgust or anticipation; Sheldon was immobilized in his spot that he couldn't fathom the tone of her voice.

Sheldon gave her a chastising look before saying, "Kate, I'm a physicist. I have a working mind of all things important in the world, and I can dully respect the fact that at one point, the both of us—as superior as we are to our species—will have to succumb to it." He took the pen from the coffee table she'd placed earlier and handed it to her. "Now, if you've finished asking the necessary inquiries, would you please sign so we can get it over with?"

Kate looked at him, her eyes shifting from the paper, to the pen, and then him again. What was the look? Did she find his need to cease the conversation lacking in consideration? To Sheldon, it was the utmost logical thing to do for it caused him discomfort; he was chancing his gaze to her when Kate took the pen, more out of acceptance than his request.

"Sheldon…"

He interrupted her, holding up his hand.

"Kate, I can understand how this is difficult to process; it was a bit hard for me as well. The contract speaks for itself, however, so I don't understand why we must consistently discuss it," Sheldon stated reasonably.

Sheldon was forever hopeful that his logic was rational enough for the woman who stared at him with unceasing surprise. The disdain he expected to show on her face never appeared; instead, to his relief, it was her look of submission, which he found equally satisfying.

He watched her sign the form with the scribble of a medical doctor; he took the paper from her lap but the tips of fingers ever so lightly grazed the bare skin of her knees, and he felt the familiar uncomfortable burning sensation down to his nether region.

Kate stood and went into the kitchen for a beverage, and Sheldon quickly found business in tethering her signed form with the rest of the agreement. Directly underneath her signatures, he signed his own, knowing that what he held in his hand was strictly binding. He wondered if putting in that intercourse text was illogical—was it an unnecessary discomfort he had to endure. He hoped not. Sheldon figured if he didn't put that in there, they'd reach their compromising position and that'd place him in an even more incomprehensible state—that's something he didn't need here or there in the present or future.

Four weeks passed since the Roommate-Relationship agreement. The group found Kate and Sheldon's relationship bordering the likeness of Amy and Stuart. Kate didn't know much about what went on between Amy and Stuart—the pair seemed to hardly converse and when they did, it was about simple matters such as their relationship or whatever they talked about. It was about that same week when Amy and Kate spoke via webcam; Amy had a 'bone to pick' with her.

She admitted to her open jealousy that Kate and Sheldon were together. Amy pointed out that she used Stuart as a means to settle her physical qualms and that Kate seemed to be more in control than her, although Kate had, too, admitted her deep physical desires to have Sheldon pressed up against her in a car or her back eased into her mattress as he took her in heated, raw, fiery passion.

The discussion hedged, however, as Amy fled from the computer, turned off the conversation. Kate had noticed Amy's initial intention was to talk about the mutual discomfort between Sheldon's present and ex-girlfriend. Amy still seemed disconcerted when they left but the friendship between the girls had been resolved.

The next ideal business rose when Sheldon proposed the designated Date Night, which consisted in watching a selected movie (alternating the date nights) made by Kate or Sheldon. Naturally, as Sheldon was the tier of ties, he always selected the movie in the end.

Tonight was the Anything-Can-Happen Thursday, and it was Kate's choice in movies. She knew Sheldon's alternative, which included a Star Trek pick of the day, or a Star Wars trilogy, or some science fictional movie awarded film that Kate would find interesting in the end. She didn't need much inclination to watch it, as she provided enough interest in the sci-fi realm. Still, watching 'Batman Begins' or another Batman movie would have been just as invigorating.

Kate had an idea as far as Date Night was concerned. She took Amy's advice that had been suggested a long time ago, by pulling in his interests and transferring his emotional connection he had with them and transferring them to _her_. Not that she needed to try too hard; Kate knew he was already interested in her in _that _way. She was not naïve to his risky glances when her legs shown or she revealed some genuine, creative, mind-blowing trivia.

In fact, she'd gathered a bit of a trade-off. As Sheldon sat in his spot, Kate walked from the kitchen, holding a jar of Red Vines and Mountain Dew, of the both she handed to him. He looked relatively pleased at her gesture.

"Well, well, well, you certainly have come prepared," Sheldon remarked as Kate took a seat next to him—the cushion to his right had become her 'spot' since the two had compromised the relationship.

He took a Red Vine and nibbled the top before biting and chewing. Kate observed him with a smile; he was thoughtful when he ate Red Vines.

"Well," said Kate reasonably, "since the last date night was a disaster, I had made some exceptional improvements."

"I'll say," Sheldon said as Kate poured his mountain dew in a glass (placed on a coaster on the coffee table).

Kate and Sheldon had a previous date night in which the electricity had gone out—the laptops were not charged to watch a movie or have fun. Kate hadn't seen the black out coming as part of the date but Sheldon had his old panic-irritability moment when the routine scheduled part of his life didn't go according to the well laid-out plan. Since then, Kate had kept her laptop on constant full charge, bought batteries for DVD portables, and added the Red Vines and his mountain dew to the equation of a successful night.

Sheldon was enthused as he drank a third of his Mountain Dew, smacking his lips, noting it to be 'refreshing'.

"What movie have you chosen?" Sheldon asked, his tone was business-like.

"I'll let you choose," Kate resigned.

"It's your movie selection, Kate," Sheldon replied, despite her statement. "As per the Roommate-Relationship Agreement, you get to choose the movie; I chose the last time."

Kate turned her eyes to him; he seemed oddly surprised at her connotation for her resignation of movie selections. She wasn't concentrated on that, though. Her idea had formed easily.

When she didn't respond so quickly this time, Sheldon gazed at her suspiciously.

"What are you plotting, Kate?" he asked coolly.

"Plotting isn't my word," Kate returned. "But if you must know, I was going to suggest an alternative, appealing to 'Anything Can Happen' Thursday Date Night."

Sheldon frowned slightly but he seemed, for Kate's sake, able to hear her out.

"While I suggest the alternative regarding movie preferences being in your favor," said Kate, "I have to divulge the anticipated factor that my alternative does feature a breach within our relationship agreement."

Sheldon corrected her firstly by saying, "Roommate-Relationship Agreement." The next was said in a cool but slightly disconcerted tone: "Kate, you can't honestly expect me to accept an alternative that requires a breach in the contract. That defeats the whole purpose of one."

Kate smiled gently.

"I understand that, Sheldon." She smiled still. "But I'm also proposing a trade-off."

"I hazard to guess that you intend to tempt me with your offer by suggesting the alternative initially and then recoiling the second part of the agreement that will grant me discomfort?" Sheldon said quietly.

"Yes," Kate responded.

Sheldon was a bit taken aback by her complete honesty.

"Well," said Sheldon slowly. "Although I am hesitant in hearing your offer, I can't deny the acknowledgement of your deceit is both a little unforgiving and yet equally admirable." He made a thoughtful hum and said finally, "Very well, Kate. What is your suggestion?"

"It's simple," she said lightly. "You choose the movie and it can be any movie at all—Star Trek, Batman, Flash, Star Wars, a documentary of physics—I don't care. But, in return, I propose that on my end of the bargain, we cuddle."

Sheldon stiffened at the last bit.

"You know very well that cuddling is strictly adhered to one in need of emotional or moral support," Sheldon referenced the contract, yet again.

Kate grinned broadly.

"Given the option of the movie, one can view a sentimental movie and need emotional support," she offered.

"Emotional support does not include feelings generated by an _emos _appeal from a movie, Kate," Sheldon responded with a calculating tone.

Sheldon and Kate looked at each other for a reasonably long amount of time. Kate raised a hand in a solemn vow.

"Cuddle only, Sheldon," Kate stated logically. "For that, you may choose whatever movie you prefer and I won't argue."

Sheldon shook his head, remarking, "You're forcibly breaching the contract."

"I'm not breaching if I have your permission, Sheldon," Kate returned easily.

Sheldon offered a retort but Kate's voice was calm, collected; her smile and tone was practically strong-handing him into the situation. He found himself wanting her suggestion; sure, he got to pick his choice of movie for date night, but he was also imagining the sensation that'd pummel his inner human when he had her body against him.

"Very well," Sheldon said with an authorative tone. "I agree to your terms."

Kate beamed. He stood and put a movie in the DVD player, which ended up being a physics documentary. Like agreed, Kate didn't protest. As Sheldon sat down, he looked at Kate with uneasy expectation. She sat closer to him. Awkwardly, they put their arms around them and Kate touched her head to the crook of his neck; her left arm was behind his back and her right hand was on his chest. Immediately, Sheldon was feeling hotter than normal; his skin was flushed. He didn't know if that was his own skin for Kate's seemed to generate heat as well.

In a few minutes as the documentation started, Kate looked up at him. He gazed back. He could see the darkness pooled in her eyes; her pupils had dilated, and he knew his were probably dilated as well; Sheldon could feel a growing sensation in the pit of his stomach, as though his entrails were partying their lives in there.

Kate was breathing steadily, as was he. However, both could feel the rampage beating of their hearts. Sheldon even wondered if his increasing heart rate was to be blamed on the mountain dew.

"Kate…" Sheldon muttered.

Kate looked up at him, meeting his eyes.

"Yes, Sheldon?"

Sheldon shook his head.

"Never mind."

Kate smiled shortly; she lifted her lips to his neck and kissed his throat. Sheldon looked at her, remarkably surprised.

"You said cuddling only," Sheldon stated curtly.

Kate smiled mischievously.

"I was just experimenting," Kate remarked lightly. Sheldon sent her a look that was the undertone of a glare, to which Kate only returned with a soft smile. It did its job though as she lowered her head back on his shoulder.

Even as the documentary continued, Sheldon was still immersed in the action Kate had begun and he had ended. Her lips were tantalizing against his skin—it still left the slightest tingle of wetness, but Sheldon wasn't disgusted. In fact, he almost wish he hadn't said anything to her about it, but at the same time, he glad he'd stopped the situation from getting out of hand.


	31. The Vehement Dispute

Chapter Thirty-One: The Vehement Dispute

**Author's Note:** Hope I can get a review tonight as I have to do a job that I don't particularly care for and hope that will cheer my spirits. Anyway, please read and review, or PM me as you like; I like hearing what you all think of it all, as it's my first fan fic that I've done with Sheldon. Love you all!

Kate turned in her bed for the fifth time that night. She had a hard time falling asleep these days, and her assumption of the cause was not completely wrong. Of course, her daydreams were more frustratingly sexually appetizing but her want for him had grown tenfold when she and Sheldon had cuddled on the couch, to her pleasure and his contrite reluctance in order to watch a documentation of the physics' laws. Granted, she had paid attention to it in order to make post-conversation when the 'movie' had ended, but for the most part, her mind had wandered to his hand-placement.

All throughout the movie, Sheldon's hands remained around her waist, on the small of her back, and on her shoulder, cradling her in his arms as she rested her head on the crook of his neck and her hand around his back with the other lying on his chest. They'd stayed in the same position for three hours and although she experienced a dull ache in her legs from where they'd remained in the same position for the long period of time, she had no other complaints.

In addition, where Sheldon had been reluctant to touch her (although he didn't complain throughout the movie) he didn't seem at all regretful of the trade-off. Their post-conversation of the movie was intellectual, basing their views of the movie solely on what they learned (in Kate's case for Sheldon stated he knew everything the narrator illustrated in auditory) and how they felt about it. The movie had been three hours, the conversation had lasted nearly a full hour, and when the time clock read '12:00AM', the two had dressed for bed (in their own rooms of course), bade each other a good night, and off they went.

However, Kate reminisced the night, which had turned out more interesting than she'd expected. Now, as she attempted a sixth time of sleep and rest, her mind was imagining a far more intimate scene that involved Sheldon doing more to her than caressing her awkwardly in his arms. Kate jolted when she heard the 'knock, knock, knock: Kate' three times on her door; after the third, Kate was more resolved.

She got out of bed, peeling back the soft but rest-impotent covers away down her feet, placed her feet in the Batmobile slippers, and walked to the door. She wore her normal Batman-decorated sleep pants and the spaghetti-strap top, knowing it was worthless to put on a robe as she was in her own bedroom. When she opened the door, she wished she had; goosebumps reigned over her arms and back when she saw that Sheldon wore no pants, only white underwear and his Thursday pajamas. She did her best to keep from looking at well he was stocked—the mere thought made her chastise herself for bringing it to mind made it all the more a hindrance to look—and her curiosity soon peaked.

"Sheldon?" Kate said, her curiosity was definitely in her voice.

"Hi, Kate."

"What are you doing in your underwear?" asked Kate gently, her face started burning and she again mentally chastised herself for her body's embarrassed and yet aroused reactions.

Sheldon seemed to share the inexplicable moment, for he was pink in his cheeks and looking at her, but yet, away from her; his gaze never made it to hers for more than ten seconds.

"I spilled grape juice on my pants," Sheldon explained.

Kate was about to tell him to put on new pants but his Thursday pajamas could not be only half-replaced by Friday or Wednesday pajamas, and the ideal routine of this would be disrupted if one suggested as much.

"What do you need me to do?" Kate returned.

Sheldon said in the utmost softest of tones: "Do you have a Clorox pen?"

"You want to bleach your pants at this time of night?" asked Kate tiredly. Her curiosity ebbed.

"Kate, it's morning," said Sheldon, crossing his arms authoratively. "And second, yes, I want to bleach my pants; I'm not going to have grape juice ruin the color; I'd have to buy myself a whole new suit. I'd rather than tend to the alternative if I don't have to; that's why they call it an alternative."

Kate saw that Sheldon was over his embarrassment of being half-nude in the doorway of her bedroom. The idea was tantalizing her to take the rest of the barriers down but she refrained from doing so. She sighed, reluctantly agreeing to his lack of disruption of the routine. Any other person would slip on a different pair of pajamas. Sheldon wasn't like other people. Sheldon was Sheldon.

"Hold on a minute," Kate said softly. She retreated to the drawer of her bedside table, opening the first then the second after reconsideration. After searching through its contents, she withdrew a Clorox pen.

Kate stepped five feet to the doorway, and handed it to him.

"Thank you, Kate," Sheldon replied.

"You're welcome, Sheldon."

"Kate…"

She put her hand on the doorknob, looking at him thoughtfully. He held the pen in his hand, fidgeting with the marker before he said something more than provoked her dirty mind again.

"Would you have sacrificed our friendship for a second breach in the agreement?" He said quietly.

Kate looked at him, perplexed at the impending question. She found her hand fidgeting, now, with the doorknob and she bit her lip gently, knowing the answer would only end in either of them becoming embarrassed. Sheldon and Kate were friends for a reason: her definite, blunt and direct honesty was one of the treasured traits Sheldon liked her, and so she had no other option than to admit.

"No, Sheldon," said Kate gently. "I understand the contract I signed was bound by my word. Of course, I wouldn't subject our friendship to it. But," she began more slowly and thoughtfully, "it wouldn't really disband our relationship either. After all, you _are _my boyfriend."

Sheldon gave her a look.

"You'd breach the agreement based on a relationship, not on the sole friendship?" Sheldon asked. "For instance,"—he crossed his arms—"you'd have tried to kiss me a second time even after you promised…"

Kate smirked, stepping towards him.

"Sheldon, I'd have tried a lot more if you hadn't stopped me. So, by my fault, my mind has breached the agreement more than five times during your documentary of physics." Kate saw the discomfort in his eyes, but what lied in them seemed more than just general discomfort—he seemed guiltily satisfied of her attraction to him.

"Kate, you make me very uncomfortable with your talk of coitus," Sheldon said quietly.

"I wasn't talking about coitus," Kate responded smoothly. "People do more than just have sex when they're attracted to each other as we are."

Sheldon opened his mouth to object, and Kate stopped him with a daring move: She stepped close to him, close enough that when her body did so, her lips met his with a hard kiss. She expected him to become enraged, enthralled with a disgusted passion and Kate was surprised when the passion was exchanged, but the disgust was the exact opposite. Kate was almost shocked when she felt her body being pushed against the front of her bedroom door, and Sheldon's lips were reciprocating her dare. His body was pressed against her, and she no doubt felt the same arousal from him that she felt burning between her legs.

Sheldon's hands were on either side of her shoulders, pinning her against the surface of the door. It took a moment for Kate to process that against her bedroom door were her and Sheldon locked in a kiss with his body pinned up against her. When she did process this, Kate's urges became stronger; her hips pushed forward, and she practically felt Sheldon against her stomach; her heart beat faster than any other time she'd been around him. As though she'd processed the scene, Sheldon seemed to have done so as well for he came out of the unexpected trance and then back off all the way into the hallway.

He stared at her. And Kate, still against the door with hands on either side of her, looking still shocked as ever, was not surprised when the shock on his own face transformed into one of rage and betrayal.

He didn't offer her his protest. Instead, he glared at her with the one he ever reserved and strode from the hallway into his bedroom, slamming the door. Kate looked after him. She felt guilty for making him so pissed off but half of her mind was sending flowers for her ever-so-daring move. The other half was telling her off, saying that she should have known better than to push him like that. But Kate was enthralled; she never expected Sheldon to respond in such a…Kate smirked. He was gentle and sweet and ever so careful about himself when he was Sheldon, but the Aroused Sheldon was more rough; Kate had the theory that while Sheldon had ignored and rejected his subliminal urges, it might have gathered and bottled and piled as he grew older. Kate felt her theory was correct: Anyone that pushed away their sexual needs for as long as Sheldon had would of course be the passionate lover of her dreams. If he reacted with a kiss of only the lips, imagine what would happen if…

Kate's mind reacted too: _There won't be any worth imagining if he breaks up with you. _

That part, Kate listened to for sure. She'd so after her shock and subtle pleasure dissolved. Until then, she would sleep very well tonight.

The same could not be said for Sheldon, who was marking the grape juice stain out of his clothes with the determination of his own kind, getting a smudge off an Iphone that just would not come off. He was angry, yes; he was definitely pissed that Kate had done such a thing; this had violated almost every clause in their agreement—Relationship-wise. Sheldon resolved to sit on his bed and look at his hands in dismay; they were shaking from anger. But he felt that tinge of pleasure returning. Surely his own body did not enjoy that repugnant dare. Still, he couldn't completely deny that he enjoyed it. For the sake of it, he even recollected that, for once, he had no true control after Kate had kissed him so passionately. He'd only been kissed deeply one time and that was Beverly's drunken behavior. It perplexed him though, even today. However, Kate had no alcohol hindering her mental functionality; she was completely sober, alert, and of sound mind, or at least, up until now.

Sheldon frowned, and turned to look at Spock, his action figure, dubbed mental-buddy. He shook his head and said, "Spock, it appears I've placed myself in a rather dubious, and overlooked, position."

He certainly couldn't deny _that_. Or the still burning and yet, equally arousing, sensation that was still numbing its way in the mid-way of his underwear. He frowned again, shaking his head in dismay. He'd not give in to these primitive urges—unless (Sheldon thought half-bitterly) Kate wanted to obstruct that ideal as well.

As though he'd thought of her too long, the seductive cruel vixen knocked on the door. He glared at the door.

"Go away, Kate; I shall not speak with you again, at least until tomorrow morning when you've…"

"Sheldon, I'm not leaving this door until we talk so you might as well get over it," said Kate. Her voice wasn't mean or demanding; it was merely stating fact, and probably self-disgust. Sheldon was feeling a little better than the regret was heard in her voice. He stood up and pulled on his pants, and opened the door, holding up his chin with an authorative aloofness, pretending he had no joy in the matter at hand, what so ever.

Kate stood with her arms crossed, looking apologetic. When she spoke again, her voice was as such.

"I'm sorry, Sheldon."

"It's just as appropriate," Sheldon said coldly. "It _was _entirely your fault."

Kate gave him a smile but it was more smug-like than resembling the apologetic tone he'd heard before he opened the can of worms (figuratively, of course).

"I was the one that was pinned against my door," Kate pointed out.

"Cause-and-Effect," Sheldon accused. "You push me, I'll push you. Don't you know the rule by now?"

"Oh stop, Sheldon," Kate returned curtly. She lowered her arms. "You know as well as I do that we'd admitted and accepted the sexual attraction we have between us. You'll go as far as putting a subliminal clause about the topic in our contract but you won't go as far as cuddling me during a physics documentary?"

Sheldon looked at her carefully.

"The clause is to prevent certain circumstances from occurring, Kate."

"None of which contain us kissing," Kate responded.

Sheldon frowned, saying, "That's circumstantial."

"Sheldon, _this _is circumstantial. Any situation is based on the current circumstance, that's why it's featured in a description of a setting," Kate replied coolly. She sighed tiredly. "Look, I'm sorry for what I did, okay? But you can't deny that you didn't like it."

"I can deny it," Sheldon said.

"Your body can't," Kate argued sharply. She smirked at him, stepping towards him once again, but slowly, and almost daringly like before. "And eventually, you won't."

"Kate, I'm not above slamming this door furiously and rudely in your face," Sheldon pointed out, but his hand didn't even make a move to the door. In fact, he looked hesitant in doing anything remotely as such. Not only would his mother scold him for the rude gesture, Kate was like Penny when it came to brawny; Sheldon didn't imagine Kate being the brutal type but there was no reason to assume she was as she was whilst angered.

However, Kate didn't react in the dare. Instead, she backed off and looked at him. The hurt on her face was so obvious that Sheldon didn't have to second guess her emotion as being sad or nauseated; the expression on her face resembled one he felt initially: hurt and betrayal.

"Are you so adamant about being non-human that you reject the simplistic of human behavior, even from me?" Kate asked quietly.

"No, Kate. I admit that I'm human." Sheldon said. "But the two of us can refrain from human contact or exchange of—"

Kate suddenly lashed out angrily, "You can't expect me to be your girlfriend and only be your friend, Sheldon! It doesn't work like that!"

Sheldon flinched at the rising of her voice and Kate looked apologetic again. She bit her lip and said quietly, "You could have rejected my proposal in being your girlfriend if the idea of remotely touching me disgusted you."

It was Sheldon's turn to feel the imminent guilt that arose in the inner humane side of him. He stepped towards her.

"Kate, I'm not disgusted at the idea of touching you," he said. "I just prefer it that this does not change the rule of thumb, where touching is concerned for moral support and etcetera."

"And yet when I kiss you and you kiss me back, it's my fault that you reacted to me?" Kate replied coldly.

"Of course it's your fault," Sheldon accused indignantly. "Your breach of the contract paid the ultimate price, which includes my reaction."

"It's not an ultimate price," Kate resounded. "It wasn't _bad_."

"Oh, get a grip, Kate—even I know that's sarcasm!" Sheldon remarked.

"It's not sarcasm!" Kate retorted.

Sheldon gave her a look that resembled one of skepticism. Kate shook her head as though she couldn't deal with this any longer. Sheldon was partial to the argument; her anger made her eyes grow a brighter tint of green. As well, their arguments differed in the ones that he and Leonard had on a regular basis but it was more…oh what was the word…invigorating? Sheldon pushed that thought away faster than he did the one where he almost wished he had stayed in that lack of control trance he'd been in when Kate had kissed him so deeply.

"Kate, I value your honesty right next to your benevolent mind but your intricate distribution of sarcasm to sway me into your apology is very excessive, not to mention a little cruel," Sheldon said.

"It's not sarcasm, Sheldon," Kate stated curtly. She shook her head again in the same manner.

"Why do you keep shaking your head in an exasperated manner?" Sheldon inquired.

"Because you're impossible!"

"I can't be impossible, I exist. I think you meant to say 'Because you're improbable.'"

"Sheldon!" Kate snapped.

"What?" Sheldon retorted. "It's obvious that the accusation, which still remains, has caused you to react to my simple explanations as though it was _my_ fault you've breached the contract, which I will have to give you a strike 1 for that impediment."

Kate glared at him, a moment that never really occurred until now and Sheldon wasn't fond of it. After this statement, her mouth opened and closed for something else to say but it was as though she was rendered incoherent. For the matter, Kate narrowed her eyes—oh, if looks could kill…

She shook her again thrice in the manner of exasperation and frustration and walked away from his bedroom door. However, the manner had not resolved itself, so Sheldon pursued. He followed her into the living room and when Kate was aware of his chase, she turned around so violently that he flinched back a step.

In return, Kate stepped towards him, her eyes glaring.

"Do you purposely negate the relationship, Sheldon? If I make you uncomfortable, or my touching you makes you uncomfortable, end the relationship. Terminate it as it sits." Kate said angrily. She went to the desk and violently opened the top drawer where the contract was located, pulled it out, and slammed it on the coffee table.

"Kate," Sheldon began hesitantly. Kate overcame him with her own angry tones.

"If you can't understand when I'm being sarcastic with you and when I'm genuinely complimenting your human behavior—as rare as you reveal it—then it's obvious we can't communicate with each other on an emotional level!" Kate stated, turning from him and glaring her daggers at the television, which only reflected her furious stare. "You get mad at _me _when it's your fault that you kissed me back. You blame it on my breaching the contract—if this contract's trepidation upsets you that much, Sheldon, nullify it. Get rid of it. For all I care, make a document that nullifies it."

"Kate…"

"Shut up, Sheldon. I'm talking." Kate snapped.

Sheldon flinched yet again, her tone was definitely biting. He'd never been the recipient of her torrent anger and he was getting the wave, as well as the center of the storm. He winced when Kate took the contract in all its bound glory and threw it to his feet.

"You're disgusted when you touch me and you're infuriated when I try to show my affection towards you. Any man I've ever met would practically idolize the situation you're in, for I've never wanted anyone more to be in my bed than I want you, Sheldon. But apparently, that means nothing. I should've known better to think that you could forget your obsession to be a complete robot for anyone, or me."

Sheldon sighed irritably. He was getting tired of being yelled at, or rather, he wanted Kate to stop accusing him of things that were neither his fault, nor even true. He bent over and took the contract off the floor and walked around Kate, who was still vehemently venting her agitation.

"Kate," said Sheldon firmly.

Kate silenced, hearing the interesting tone of his voice. She looked at him, her eyes slightly wide with his interruption.

"If you'd stop your vehement rant towards me for just a second, I believe I can resolve this situation," said Sheldon slowly.

"My rant?" Kate responded.

"Yes," said Sheldon unaffected. He gestured to the middle cushion and Kate sat in her spot. Sheldon sat in his.

"Kate," he said gently. "Before I move onto the more important slight in this pending conversation, I'll have you understand that I can register when a woman or a man is furious, the rising pitch and register of your voice is highly uncalled for."

Kate frowned at his chastisement but Sheldon quickly raised his hand in a quick motion.

"Hold on, that wasn't the topic at hand." Sheldon said furtively. He shifted uncomfortably in his spot and sighed. "I've perceived that based on your sub-psychotic bouts of feminine ranting and violence towards the contract and my desk drawer that you wish to argue the blame of the situation that had presented itself earlier tonight. I think you've argued your case effectively, but to prove a point, I'm going to disprove your accusations of my behavior."

Kate gave him an ironic stare.

Sheldon sighed deeply, summoning the inner human side and hoping that this what he was about to say would render Kate speechless and he'd no longer have to receive the wrath of Dr. Kate Burns ever again. He doubted it but this would be a temporary cooling.

"Now," Sheldon said, his words being chosen carefully as he spoke. "As I've mentioned before, I show an aversion, as you know, to people touching me or vice versa. However, for some reason that's still unknown to me (for now) I haven't the same aversion to you touching me. I still invoke that your misconduct of late has been intentional in discovering my attraction to you, its strength and appeal, so to speak, therefore placing me in a situation that I have neither the understanding, therefore no control, over my actions."

Sheldon sighed again and gradually became more and more uncomfortable as he spoke.

"And although I feel betrayed by your violation of the contract that we'd both agreed to, I'm not completely, not exactly disgusted by the results of the matter." Sheldon said. "I'm not going to terminate our relationship, considering that although I do dislike the results and what it stands for, I'm not in full disagreement with your experimental favor either."

Kate stared at him. For once, she seemed to not understand a word he'd just said, which were basically: "I don't like what you did, but I liked it too; maybe we can do it again to see what it's like, and more." Kate was still flabbergasted that her anger was dropped entirely, and she looked at him.

Sheldon waited for her response but none came. Instead, he waited still but calmly. Kate's smile that curved her lips was one he recognized as imminently pleased.

"Thank you Sheldon," she said. "That means a lot coming out of you."

"It is a lot," Sheldon said. "Too bad there's not a simpler way of explaining what we are, but my proposal stands as is."

"Experimenting," said Kate.

"I'm sorry?"

"We're going to experiment," said Kate, smiling. "As a scientist, your curiosity must be peaking."

Sheldon gave her a look, saying, "Pun intended?"

"No. Happy accident," she returned, but this made her grin. Sheldon returned the smile.

"I'm so glad we got this over with," Sheldon remarked. "I've not been able to sleep for days."

"Me neither," said Kate. "I think our repression of sexual release has…"

"Kate, I've already admitted it; there's no need to read a book twice."

Sheldon and Kate returned glances that detected a median of content and satisfaction. Kate and Sheldon stood and Kate turned to him briefly.

"I'm sorry I was mean to your desk drawer and contract. I guess I lost it."

"You guess? I saw the whole thing," Sheldon replied smartly.

Kate smiled.

"I guess we can go to bed now." She said gently. "Good night, Sheldon."

"Hold on." He said quickly.

Kate looked at him as they stopped in front of his bedroom door. Sheldon turned directly in front of her and to her surprise, he leaned in and kissed her right cheek. She stared at him.

"What's that for?"

"From my understanding, before departing, a woman and a man involved in a relationship exchange affection undertones of a kiss or a hug before resolving to their bedrooms or beds," Sheldon remarked. "Isn't that what you were ranting about?"

Kate smiled again. "You didn't have to do that, Sheldon."

"On a contrary, it's no longer an option. If want to see to it that my desk drawer and contract remain unharmed, that is." Sheldon said. He smiled suddenly, saying, "In some ways, it's nice."

Kate smiled in return. Sheldon pointed his designated cheek to her and she resolved.

"I know how you are, Sheldon. I won't put my contaminated lips on your skin if you really don't want me to," said Kate.

"Oh good," Sheldon remarked, smiling. "I was hoping we could compromise." He then walked into his bedroom, saying before he closed the door, "Good night Kate."

"Good night, Sheldon."

She walked into her bedroom with a large grin on her face, touching the place where her boyfriend had kissed her ever so gently, even if there had been a little hesitation in the matter. She didn't care. It was a kiss, given willingly; she was steadily making Sheldon a real boy.


	32. The Seat Reservation

Chapter Thirty-Two: The Seat Reservation

**Author's Note: **Thank you for your reviews, **Nightbloodwolf**, **BeyondxXxBirthday, Tomasina, **and **PsychoBeachGirl88.** As a writer, I look forward to hearing what my readers think about the story, and I always get something of a high and inspiration when I read that everyone seems to enjoy different aspects. But enough chitchat, read on!

Sheldon was still under the slightly startled emotion that Kate had distributed such a temper while they had argued. It wasn't unlike the arguments he had witness his parents engaging in either; minus the fact that neither parent were under the influence of alcohol, and Kate was not the born-again Christian like his mother, the temper and the yelling had been very similar. However, Kate's temper had immediately diffused when Sheldon offered her the compromise, to his greatest relief.

Apparently, their voices had carried, for while the group ordered pizza and ate the dinner at the apartment, Leonard inquired of the matter. Sheldon sat in his spot, as usual, sitting with a plate on his lap and a napkin on the arm of the chair for his face, and another for his hands. He looked at Leonard, who sat in the armchair (and Penny, who sat on the arm of the armchair).

"How can you not know what we're talking about?" asked Leonard. "We heard your voices from the bedroom."

Sheldon looked at Leonard scornfully. Was it really his business to know what he and Kate were disputing last night?

Howard stooped over the box of pizza and took a slice then hovered his hind quarters over the middle seat of the cushion. Rather than responding to Leonard's eavesdropping question, Sheldon had looked at Howard.

"You can't sit there." Sheldon remarked to Howard, who straightened after hearing the objection. He stared at him.

"Why not; this isn't your spot," said Howard. "To this day, I still think you're crazy about choosing a designated cushion."

Leonard seemed to catch on really fast; after all, he'd gone through the whole ordeal about the couch cushions for nearly nine years before he moved in with a easy-going Penny. Leonard leaned forward, looking at Sheldon then seeing the familiar facial expression, Leonard looked at Howard.

"I think it's been placed in eternal dibs as well," Leonard pointed out.

"No one's claimed it," Howard returned, slightly abashed. He pointed to Sheldon, "Neither have you. So I'm sitting in it."

"No, you're assuredly not," Sheldon said. He placed his plate on the cushion.

"Sheldon, that's childish!" Howard protested.

"It may be, but it's a seat saved for a potential person and by the rules of saving seats, you're not allowed to take the reserved cushion for your reason of 'first come, first serve'." Sheldon stated inidignantly.

Howard looked affronted but Kate came out of the bathroom, her hands occupied with a sanitary wipe as she came into the kitchen. Suddenly, Howard and Leonard looked between Kate and Sheldon.

"You're saving a seat for Kate?" Penny asked Sheldon, her 'awww' smile curving her mouth.

Sheldon caught her endearing tone and rather ignored it, knowing that it would only inhibit her further into talking about the Shate and Keldon affect that was only inevitable but must be prolonged as long as possible. When Kate heard Penny, she glanced at Sheldon, and saw that his plate sat on a cushion, which Howard was still inclined to sit.

"Sheldon, you don't have to save a seat for me," Kate remarked; she turned her back and went into the refrigerator.

"It's not an obligation," Sheldon remarked to her. He glanced at Howard. "It's a favor, in fact, I'd go as far as saying that I'm _willing_ to do so."

Leonard and Penny glanced at each other for Sheldon had placed the hinted emphasis of the word 'willing', which evidently Kate seemed to hear, for she turned around, looking surprised. There was an insider's gasp but the group only seemed puzzled. Raj, however, who was downing a grasshopper drink in a flask, smiled dopely at the two.

"Aw, you've had the 'I want you to want' talk, hmm?" Raj asked Sheldon, grinning widely.

Sheldon looked at him. Howard turned to Raj.

"What's the 'I want you to want' talk?"

"It's a talk where the girl and the boy sit down and the girl says that, you know, she wants him to want to wash the dishes. Or, she wants him to want to do the laundry." Raj stated knowledgeably. He shook his head and stated tiredly, "Priya never stopped doing _that_. I pity the poor bastard that weds her."

Leonard glanced at him pointedly but Raj merely grinned at Sheldon.

"Was that part of the argument last night?" asked Raj.

Penny seemed surprised, finally getting into the conversation that had been mentioned earlier but she was still drowned in the merriment of her free dinner. She looked at Sheldon.

"You had a fight?"

"It wasn't a fight," Sheldon stated. "It was a dispute."

"A very loud and shrill dispute," Leonard clarified, glancing at Penny. "Remember last night when you asked me if that shrill scream of frustration was me?"

"Yeah," Penny said, nodding.

"That was Kate." Leonard said.

"Oh," Penny stated. She looked at Sheldon again. "No, Sheldon, when we hear people screaming at each other, that's a fight."

"We didn't get into a physical brawl, Penny," Sheldon stated curtly. "By definition of the word 'fight', you're implicating that we exchanged ball bearing with fists and bruises; on a contrary, we didn't. Although I do admit that Kate's violent actions towards the desk drawer was a bit frightening and physical."

Kate walked over to the living room, holding a bottled diet pepsi in her hand and the bottled water. She handed the latter to Sheldon who accepted it with a smile.

Howard began to sit down, tired of standing until Sheldon's protest was heard yet again.

"Oh for Christ's sake, just let Kate sit there," Penny stated, rolling her eyes. "Just so he'll shut up!"

Howard groaned grumpily and sat on the far right of the couch as Sheldon moved his plate back on his lap and Kate sat on the middle cushion. Sheldon beamed at her like a little kid who just got his way.

"Thank you for saving my seat," Kate said, grinning at him.

"You're welcome," he said. "It wasn't hard. Some people just don't know when to quit." He glanced pointedly to Howard, who raised his hands in utter incredibility, mouth gaped and eyes glaring. Raj poked him and said, "Don't worry, dude. You might as well forget about sitting there."

"Why?" Howard returned.

"Because Kate's his right-hand woman, so she's going to sit there forever," Raj said. "Plus, you can't separate a girlfriend from her boyfriend, no matter how crazy he is."

"I'm not crazy," interjected Sheldon, "my mother had me tested."

Kate simply grinned at Sheldon who met her eyes. He was half-afraid that she'd kiss him for his gesture but instead, she seemed to abide by one of the solitary rules he'd drawn up in the Roommate Relationship agreement; no PDA allowed. Instead of kissing him in front of everyone, she merely handed him another napkin from the coffee table and took the crinkled hand napkin from his view, placing it in the trash bin provided.

Sheldon smiled again and Kate returned it.

Penny shook her head and looking down at Leonard, she said, "How come you don't save a seat for me?"

Leonard looked up at her then glared at Kate and Sheldon for putting the idea in his girlfriend's head.


	33. Date-Night Misunderstanding

Chapter Thirty-Three: The Date-Night Misunderstanding

It was Halo night and Kate wasn't intent on disrupting the normal schedule of Leonard, Raj, Howard, and Sheldon's game night. So, as unspoken option, Kate went to Penny's apartment for a girl's night with the other girlfriends, which included Amy, Penny, and Bernadette. When Kate entered the apartment, she saw that Amy was already drinking and Bernadette had a small glass of tequila in her hand. Penny greeted Kate with a smile.

"Already started without me, huh?" Kate said, although the tone of her voice reflected genuine humor.

"Well, we did wait for a measurable time," Amy stated plainly.

"I was joking," Kate said. She took a seat beside her on the couch, while Penny sat in the armchair and Bernadette sat in the middle of Amy and Kate. There was an obvious silence before Penny cleared her throat in hopes of ridding the awkward silence.

"So," said Penny, looking at Amy. "How are you and Stuart?"

"Functional," Amy returned. "We've scheduled a date tomorrow night at the movies."

"Ohh, so did Howard!" Bernadette gushed. "We're going to see the new Star Trek movie; although I'm not in favor of seeing them, I just like being with Howie. He's so cute the way he stares at the movie."

"What a coincidence," said Amy, her curiosity peaked. "It's the same movie Stuart wants to see, although, like you, Bernadette, it baffles me why. I don't share his science fictional interests, but like you, of course, I like doing things he enjoys. It's why we've agreed to see science movies and he can come with me to lectures about the new exploits and research discovered about the brain."

Penny stared at the two, her eyes never blinking. Kate found her expression curious in nature, for it seemed that the same incidence had happened.

"Penny?" Kate said.

"What?"

"Did Leonard ask you to go on a date tomorrow at the same movie?" asked Kate.

"Yeah," Penny responded slowly. She shook her head. "I think the guys did this on purpose. I mean, asking us all on a date for tomorrow and we're all going to be there together." She frowned. "I bet that's Leonard's idea."

"It does have Leonard Hodfstader written all over it," Bernadette pointed out. "But why would they ask us on a date tomorrow at the same place?"

"Excuse me," Amy said, interrupted Bernadette's pondering, "perhaps this is the social convention in which couples partake in the same experience. From what I understand, two couples joining a date is 'double dating'. Should I assume that this would be a quadruple date?"

"I don't know it works that way," Bernadette stated.

"Actually, it's happened before," Kate reminded.

Penny, Amy and Bernadette glanced at her, doubting it.

"When? I don't remember being on a date with you all," Penny said. After, she drank her beverage.

"You don't?" Kate returned. She said ironically, "That was the same day when my car was stolen, and the same day where Sheldon and I first met."

Penny snapped her fingers, remembering.

"Oh yeah!" She exclaimed. "It was, wasn't it?"

"Yes," Kate said.

Penny smiled. "I think it's sweet that you and Sheldon met there."

"Yes, but I have to disagree with Amy's theory, about quadruple dating," Kate said, pulling a segue back to the conversation. "In order for four couples to be have a quad-date, there has to be eight people on a date."

"You and Sheldon, Penny and Leonard, Bernadette and Howard, Stuart and I do make eight." Amy responded.

"That's true, but err regardless, Sheldon hasn't asked me." Kate pointed out.

Penny furrowed her eyebrows curiously.

"He hasn't?"

"No."

"Why?" Bernadette asked.

Kate gave her a look, saying, "How am I supposed to know that, Bernadette?"

"Is it because you two quarreled the other day?" asked Amy.

Kate stared at her.

"How do you know that?"

"You may be Sheldon's girlfriend, Kate, but I'm still his equal in intellect and stimulating conversation. He and I talk every morning via webcam." Amy said. "That, and Stuart mentioned to me that Penny and Leonard could hear you from their bedroom while they were involved in mid-coitus." She looked at Penny sympathetically, saying, "I'm sympathetic towards your situation, as I'm sure it was hard to continue the pleasure while hearing Sheldon and Kate argue in less than dulcet tones."

Penny shook her head, embarrassed.

"To answer your question," continued Kate, hoping that the continuance of a conversation would dispel Penny's slight embarrassment, "Amy, I doubt it's because we argued."

"Sometimes Sheldon can be a bit childish, though; it'd be like to not ask you on a date after the argument." Bernadette pointed out. "Howie says that he's a bit of a sore loser and a bad winner."

Kate sighed and said tiredly, "Sheldon and I resolved our disagreements the same night, Bernadette. For what it's worth, he compromised."

Penny raised her hands suddenly and said slowly with much emphasis on her words, "Sheldon _compromised_?"

"Yes," said Kate. "We negotiated a premise in his view but in actuality I won the debate. Just before we left to our separate bedrooms, he kissed me on my cheek." She tapped her right cheek with her finger with a smile.

"Unbelievable," Amy said, shaking her head at Penny. "It takes me a whole two years of inexplicable effort just to get Sheldon to coddle me and this bitch gets a kiss."

Kate stared at Amy incredulously, to which Amy smiled apologetically.

"I apologize for the derogatory name-calling; your meager efforts to acquire open affection from Sheldon renders me jealous and also exploits the cattiness of my brain," Amy said. She glanced at the empty glass and added, "Although, I have to say this alcohol may also weigh into my sudden callousness towards you."

Kate smiled at her factual apology.

"I understand," Kate returned. Amy smiled in return. She looked at Penny. "If Sheldon doesn't ask me on a date tomorrow night, it won't bother me. We have a date night on Anything-Can-Happen Thursday so it never bothers me if we don't quadruple date."

"It would bother me," Penny said.

"It would bother me as well," Bernadette agreed.

"It would bother me," Amy admitted.

Kate wondered if she truly should be bothered that Sheldon had not, like the other guys, asked their girlfriend on the date for tomorrow night to the movies. It was truly mind-boggling. But Kate dispelled the anxiety.

That night, however, Kate was still perturbed by the same idea. Did Sheldon not want her at the Star Trek movie? More importantly, did he not want to be with her at all like the other boys? Or, on a more pending anxious thought, was he still sore after the argument? Kate had overthought the mind-tapping situation, and soon, she became hurt that Sheldon would not ask her on the date. Kate was an independent woman and could find entertainment alone but she wanted the quadruple date. It would be fun, sure. So why not join it?

Kate's mind was pressing the matter further when Sheldon sat in his spot in the living room and Kate sat in hers as they watched the Batman: Animated Series with hope that the Joker and Batman would have a full-fledged action-packed battle against each other at the end of the marathon.

Sheldon ate Red Vines, giving them a thoughtful nibble, and drinking his bottled water after eating three red vines. Kate watched him, wondering if he was just waiting for the right moment to ask her out. However, her anxiety was getting the best of her.

Finally, Kate took the remote from the coffee table and muted the television. The action immediately pulled Sheldon into his inquiry.

"Why did you do that?" he asked.

"Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, and Stuart have asked Penny, Bernadette, and Amy on a date tomorrow night to see the Star Trek movie," Kate stated. Her pained expression gave way to her feelings about the situation. Sheldon looked at her, still. Apparently, he couldn't see the problem.

"I know that," Sheldon said.

"Why haven't you asked me?" Kate returned.

"Why haven't I asked you?" Sheldon responded. "I was under the impression you don't like Star Trek."

Kate frowned, saying, "I like watching Star Trek. I just don't know what's going on half the time, that's not to say that I dislike it. Even if I did, I would watch the movie with you because it makes you happy."

"Well, that's comforting," said Sheldon.

"So why haven't you asked me?" Kate inquired.

Sheldon gave her an uncomfortable look, as though hesitated on giving her the answer.

"Are you ashamed to bring me along?" Kate suggested, the hurt in her voice was clear.

"No," Sheldon replied; his tone became one of incredibility; why on Earth would she think that, was what it said. "If any other reason provided, I'm more than proud to have a girlfriend as smart and perceptive as you, Kate. And be flattered; I don't give that big of a compliment to just anyone."

"Don't flatter me, Sheldon; I want to know why the other boys have asked their girlfriends to go with them and you've not asked me." Kate said.

Sheldon looked uncomfortable again. Kate turned her body to him.

"Sheldon, your stubbornness for giving me an answer is only making me feel that you really don't want to see a movie with me, that you don't want to go." Kate said quietly.

Finally, it seemed that Sheldon could no longer ignore her pained expression for Sheldon took the remote and turned off the television completely. He looked at her, as though the guilt in whatever he was feeling finally was breaking free. He had to come clean.

"Alright, I'll tell you why I haven't asked you on a date," Sheldon said. He looked left and right as though he waited to see if some spy would pop out of the kitchen and shoot him for betraying confidential information.

"Please do," Kate returned.

Sheldon took a deep breath and explained.

"Leonard was originally going to watch the movie with Howard, Raj, Stuart, and myself. However, Penny happened to hear Leonard and she insisted that Leonard and her would go to the movies as a date when originally, Leonard preferred it to be, what he names 'a guy's night out'. Because he feels a solitary obligation to please his Nebraskan girlfriend, Leonard opted that in order for him to still see the movie with us and Penny, he pressured Howard and Stuart to bring their girlfriends so it would appear a complete coincidence that they all be in the same movie theater, during the same movie."

Kate stared him. Sheldon wasn't finished however.

"During this time when you, Bernadette, Amy, and Penny would meet each other, Leonard divulged that the four of you would become clucking hens in a different corner of the movie theater, therefore allowing Leonard, Howard, Stuart and I to watch the movie with our masculine minds." Sheldon said.

"You were going to ask me on a date so as to betray the girls into a false…" Kate began but Sheldon interrupted her angry statement.

"Kate, I wasn't finished." Sheldon said righteously. "Before Leonard opted to pressure myself and the others into asking the girls on a date under false pretenses, I insisted that Leonard was being deceitful towards Penny, and therefore, being deceitful towards you, Amy, and Bernadette." He raised his chin in self-righteosness while saying, "I know you, Kate, well enough that this sort of betrayal would predicate only another argument, which I would have to suffer through in silence."

He took a bite of his red vine.

"That is why I never intended to ask you on a date for tomorrow night, Kate," said Sheldon. In a softer voice he said, "I didn't like the idea of another argument festering between us. Just as well, you and I would be seeing the new Star Trek movie on next Anything-Can-Happen Thursday. I find being on a date one-on-one more comfortable than having ankle biters accompanying. It eludes the fact of being on a date."

Sheldon waited for Kate's reaction. It resulted in her lips touching his ever so lightly. As though under influence, Sheldon found the need to return it. Kate and Sheldon stared at each other for Kate expected another angry reaction. However, Sheldon hesitated but kissed Kate again, this time with a little more pressure. Kate reciprocated it. When Sheldon was prepared to kiss her a third time, Kate stopped him, touching her hand to his chest. He looked at her, curious.

"Sheldon, if you kiss me a third time, I won't be able to control myself." She said softly, her voice was shaking with the lust that was slowly growing, already having made a rush inside her veins when she hadn't expected the second kiss.

Sheldon looked at her and nodded.

"You may be right," he said thoughtfully. He licked his lips with the same thoughtfulness and said, "I'm presuming that by your initial contact that you were showing appreciation for my just actions?"

"Yes," said Kate gently. She smiled. "Thank you, Sheldon."

"You're welcome, Kate." Sheldon returned. "Now, if you've finished your inquiries, we can watch the rest of the action-packed drama that will hopefully not disappoint." He turned the volume up on the television and to their both entertaining pleasures, Batman and the Joker engaged in an all-out violet show-down, which of course, ended with the Joker being once more encased in a cell at Arkham and the screen going black as Batman swung from building to building via Bat-Grappler.


	34. The Heated Matchmaker

Chapter Thirty-Four: The Heated Matchmaker

**Author's Note**_**: **_I have been waiting to write this chapter since the beginning of the story It's finally come around, ha ha. Thanks again for all the reviews; over 40, good lord! It's made me so happy! Thank you, **Nightbloodwolf, BeyondxXxBirthday, Tomasina**, **PsychoBeachGirl88, Jislane35**, and **IchigoPudding** for being with me from the beginning!

Tomorrow had come and the girls and guys (except Kate and Sheldon) went to the movies at different intervals. Leonard and Penny left first in Leonard's vehicle, and they went to the movies. Howard and Bernadette left, then it was Stuart and Amy—of course, Kate knew that the girls were well aware of the deceiving plan that was all orchestrated by Leonard, carried out by Howard and Stuart.

Beside her on the couch sat Raj on the far right cushion, Sheldon in his spot, and Kate in hers. Sheldon had been aware that Kate would warn the girls, knowing the deception it would only cause if she hadn't confirmed the theory. It only made Sheldon slightly admire Penny, who had figured the whole thing out even before Sheldon had told Kate of the treachery involved.

Raj, who had no current girlfriend, had not gone to the theaters. Not only did he not want to be pulled into the mess that would soon unveil, he was more than happy to watch the argument implode when they all came back tonight after the pending reveal. He looked at Kate, who had pulled out her phone.

"What are you doing?" asked Raj (he had a bottle of Chardonnay, to which he offered Kate, who refused politely).

Kate looked up at him.

"Telling Penny that she was right about Leonard," Kate remarked. She put down her phone shortly after sending the text and looked at Raj for a moment. "How come you don't have a girlfriend, Rajesh?"

Sheldon glanced at Kate as though this question was marked obvious.

"Kate, isn't it obvious?" He stated. "He has selective mutism, a disorder that…"

"Sheldon, honey, I enjoy listening to your explanations, but that wasn't my point." Kate interrupted gently.

Sheldon smiled at her, although he wished he'd been able to explain it anyway. He went back to playing Super Mario 3. Kate turned to Raj, who looked at her as though the question also held an obvious answer.

"I can't meet women without having alcohol in my body, Kate—that's a downer for any girl," said Raj. "Although, I did meet a deaf chick and she was more than happy to be with me and since she couldn't hear me talk, it was really simple."

Kate felt the vibration of her phone, incurring a text. She glanced at her off-handedly and saw that Penny had a face resembling anger. She locked her phone and placed it on the coffee table, then turned her form completely to Raj.

"I have a girlfriend you might be interested in," she said.

"Now, Kate," Sheldon said, pausing his video game. "The last time someone tried playing matchmaker for Raj, it ended up with him spending incredible and unreasonable amounts of money on a deaf woman, who ended up being a cougar. The situation was very uncomfortable, needless to say, but one ought to learn from past mistakes that match-making is relatively difficult, especially for someone as unique as Raj."

"I'm unique," Raj said, as though this was the only thing he caught. He smiled widely, but looked as though he had to hopelessly agree with Sheldon.

"That was Penny's match," Kate pointed out to Sheldon. He gave her a quirk of an eyebrow; did that make a difference?

"How would Penny's match be any different than the suitor you've mentioned?" Sheldon replied. "I understand that when it concerns your mental capacity, your intelligence is further evolved and reknowned, but even a game such as matchmaking cannot be computed."

"The dating site spit out Amy Farrah Fowler, and you two seemed to hit it off," Raj pointed out. He took a drink from the bottle.

"And look where we are today," Sheldon countered.

Raj shook his head, looking at Kate.

"Who's the girlfriend you're talking about?"

"I've known her a few years; we connected on MySpace. She's about your age, a little younger, though. I'll pull up her profile later and you can definitely talk to her."

"But she's a girl; that doesn't help me with my selective mutism," Raj pointed out.

"She is a girl," Kate stated as though this wasn't really important. "Her name is Chance and she's a veterinarian. She talks to dogs and cats all the time; she knows them enough from their body language, I figure you and her would act the same way."

"You're comparing me to a dog?" Raj stated.

"Sure," Kate said. She smiled and added, "You're cute, cuddly and brown."

Raj stared at her and then cracked a grin, saying, "I am, aren't I?"

Sheldon and Kate exchanged furtive glances although Sheldon found her ability to make Raj feel more comfortable to be very admirable. They sat a little longer as Raj downed his bottle of Chardonnay, Sheldon played Super Mario 3, and Kate sat between them. Her phone vibrated again and she leaned forward to get the phone. Sheldon glanced her, as though acknowledging her movement. Unknown to Kate, her shirt rose slightly above her waist and her Joker's Wild was ever so slightly revealed. Sheldon recollected the last time this had happened and the boys had gotten a peak; it ended up with Howard nearly being pummeled to death by Kate's ferocity.

Sheldon took the hem of her shirt and pulled it down, covering her lower back. The gesture caught her by surprise as Kate straightened suddenly; the shock had ridden through her spinal column.

However, it went unnoticed by Sheldon, who resumed his video game. Kate shook it off but Raj was grinning at the two of them widely. Kate glanced at her text. It was from Leonard.

_Tell Sheldon I will KILL him._

Kate looked at Sheldon.

"Leonard says he'll kill you," Kate stated plainly.

Sheldon looked at her incredulously.

"What did I do?" he exclaimed.

As though it was meant to happen, the door burst open and in came the angry faces of Leonard, Howard, Stuart, Amy, Bernadette, and Penny. Although, the anger distorted from two different sources of the genders; the females were pissed from being used as decoys, and the boys were pissed from being discovered.

Sheldon stayed seated, looking at the angered Leonard.

"Why the hell did you tell Kate everything? You didn't even go!" Leonard snapped, advancing towards the couch.

Kate stood up, stopping Leonard with her hand.

"Don't you yell at him," said Kate coldly. "It was good that he told me everything. You were using the girls just to see a stupid movie!"

"Kate," Sheldon said from behind. Kate glanced at him as he held up a hand. "While I know you are making a brave and honorable effort as my girlfriend to stand up for what I've done, which I consider to be just objectivity, I have to disagree that the new Star Trek movie is assuredly not a stupid movie."

"Not the point!" Kate hissed. She turned to Leonard was still fuming.

But rather than Leonard and Howard using the expo facto, it was Penny who rounded Leonard, and it was his turn to feel defenseless.

"If you didn't want to see the movie with me, you should have said so," Penny said.

"But I did," Leonard voiced. "You preferred to go with me."

"Of course, I did, Leonard; it was date night!"

"We could have done date night a different day," Leonard argued. He slapped the back of his hand into the palm of the other, emphasizing, "It was the _premiere! _The guys and I wanted…"

"Hold on, Leonard!" Howard said, stepping to him (for Bernadette looked absolutely livid), "I'll have to stop you there. I didn't say I wanted to go with you to watch the movies."

"Yeah," interjected Stuart, standing beside Howard, "You suggested we all go with our girlfriends."

Leonard stared at the agape; he wasn't going to be stuck in the outerlands on this one, no way, for he stated curtly, "You _went along with it!" _

Howard shrugged embarrassed; his wife's lips were pursed with the rage within. The small woman was practically glaring daggers.

"You all were enjoying yourselves!" Leonard stated. "Penny, you, Bernadette, and Amy were fine with just being with each other in the other end of the theater."

Penny's eyes widened with irritation.

"If it was a true coincidence, maybe, but you _planned_ on not watching a movie with me, Leonard. On our date night!" Penny stated.

Leonard looked ashamed and said, "This date night really means that much to you?"

"Assuredly," Amy stated, standing beside Penny and holding her Bestie's arm, "this night consummates a night which a couple isolate themselves from other people to enjoy the night in each other's coddling company, in hopes of achieving a closer bond with each other through a curricular activity."

"What she said!" Bernadette hastily agreed (her voice resembling Howard's mother, which in likeness, made Howard wince a little).

Penny shook her head, livid with Leonard, who looked angrily at Sheldon.

"Everything was fine, Sheldon, but you had to be all good and crap and tell Kate," Leonard snapped.

"Excuse me," Sheldon stated curtly, standing up beside Kate. "It was by no intention of mine that Kate whispered the treachery of you three to her clucking friends. My coming clean, or as my mother would dictate 'confessions of the heart', dispelled when Kate suggested my refusal to tag her along with the plot was from shame and embarrassment of her company. From my knowledge, being a boyfriend—and per the Roommate-Relationship Agreement, Kate's self-esteem exceeds her mind and therefore I must offer emotional support."

Kate glanced at him, a little touched that his obligatory need to fulfill her self-esteem extended from more than just the Agreement she'd signed.

Sheldon exchanged the glare to Leonard.

"It was by your fault of a lie that they founded you out; my part of the matter was excusable," said Sheldon. He stopped shortly and glanced at Kate. "It's excusable, right, Kate?"

"Yes," said Kate; there was hint of a smile on her face.

"Hold on…" Amy said. She passed Leonard and looked at Kate curiously. "You thought Sheldon would be ashamed in taking you along with us?"

Kate smiled gently, saying, "Sometimes when one feels left out, one rebuttles to their self-esteem for blame."

Amy looked at Sheldon.

"Did you give her a hot beverage when she was weepy?" inquired Amy.

Sheldon frowned.

"Rats, I _knew _I did something wrong!" he said. He turned to Kate. "Do you want that hot beverage now or in the pending future?"

Penny shook her head and said loudly, "_Who cares about the beverage!_" She glared at Leonard. "Don't you blame, Sheldon, just because we found out."

"Actually," said Amy, turning around and looking at Leonard. "Penny theorized your nasty, nasty intentions." She smirked and said, "Maybe you should figure out just how intellectual your female goddess is before you decide to trick her, and her friends, into a ploy, hmm?"

"Well said, Amy," Penny agreed. She looked at Bernadette and Amy. "Let's go; I want a drink." She stopped shortly and turned to Kate. "Um…did you want to…?"

"No," said Kate, shaking her head and waving at her, "I'm fine." She sat down, at which point, Sheldon did the same.

"Okay," said Penny gently. She turned to Leonard. "Stay away from me tonight." She stormed out of the apartment. Bernadette and Amy followed suit.

Stuart, Howard, and Leonard glared at Sheldon. They opened their mouth to speak but Kate turned to them reverently.

"You three have better learned a lesson tonight, gentlemen. We're not dumb." Kate stated. She sat back in her seat and Sheldon glanced at her.

"I still feel guilty that I've not offered you that beverage. Would you like hot chocolate, tea?"

"Sheldon, it's fine."

"It's not an option," he returned.

"Fine…hot chocolate."

"An _excellent _choice," Sheldon said. He smiled at her and then stood to prepare the beverage.

"Oh crap…" Howard muttered.

"What?" Leonard and Stuart inquired.

"Bernadette's going to tell my mother," he stated. He made a pained expression. "I'm not going to sleep too well."

"I should hope not," Raj stated, looking around at the three. "You all deserve what you got."

"Oh shut up; you don't even have a girlfriend; what do you know about it?" Leonard snapped.

Raj smirked at him and said, "Not _yet_." He said. He and Kate exchanged secretive smiles, which only pissed off the three in the back. Meanwhile, Sheldon made hot chocolate for his female companion.

As he did, he was smiling. Kate had definitely defended his honor, even though her uncalled for remark of the movie was undoubtedly wrong. Supposedly, however, it had been stemmed from anger; from what he understood, even if it was a wrong move, in Chess, the queen had to protect the king. Sheldon glanced at Kate who was showing Raj the profile of the match-made Vet. _What a fine Chess piece she was turning out to be._


	35. the cause and the cure

Chapter Thirty-Five: The Cause and the Cure

Kate wiped the blood from her hands onto her gown when the artery busted. She snapped at one of the ER Technicians to hand her the sterile tweezers and the stitching. Her eyes reverted from the dying teenager on the table to the machines that were beeping wildly; the lights flashed, and Kate narrowed her eyes.

"Kate, hurry, she's going into shock!"

Kate ignored the techs around her. She handed the stitching roughly to her fellow nurse, Daisy, who took them without question. She returned the hand with a smaller and narrower stitching, to which Kate thanked her quickly.

Behind the glass, she heard the parents shrieks of hysterical fear. When Kate stitched the heart and then began stitching the chest together, her mind made up the worst images possible; the parents crying in the background only made them worse. Kate looked up at Daisy; her mask hid her nose and mouth but the meaning in her eyes was only too clear to her. The fifty-year old nurse nodded with understand and hurriedly swept pass the room, not before handing a younger tech the scalpel and useless stitching, and began comforting the parents.

Kate looked at the younger ER tech; she couldn't be more than twenty.

"What's your name?" Kate questioned through muffled mask.

"Jane."

"Okay, Jane," said Kate. She felt the flushing. She felt trapped—why would she not, there were so many people in the room.

"What do you need me to do?" asked Jane quickly. The woman's nerves were wracked; apparently, she'd never been placed in a situation where Kate was the doctor, holding the life in her hands, and now she had to somehow assist.

A doctor sped into the room and nearly bumped Kate, who only managed to take her balance as she glowered.

"Jane, I need you to get everyone out of here."

"But, Doctor—," began one of the nurses.

"I can't think when everyone is in here!" Kate snapped. "Get out! Jane, you stay."

"But I'm not qualified…" Jane began. "I'm only a surgical technician."

"And right now, you'll be my intern," Kate stated quickly. She glowered at the extra nurses and doctors around her. "Get going, you all; I can't fucking think when everyone is crowding against me!"

"But, Kate, she's just an tech—"

"Nevermind that! Do you want to fix this kid or not!" Kate snapped angrily. She felt her fainting spell begin; she was getting dizzy; her world was spinning. No, Kate, keep your head. You have to save the kid.

"I said get out of my ER!" Kate hollered.

The parents in the background only became more hysterical as the nurses and er techs ran out of the room, not wanting to bear Kate's anger any longer. All that was left was Kate, Jane the simple surgical technician, and later, Daisy, the ER nurse. Seeing no one in the room, she pondered aloud.

"What happened, Kate?" Daisy asked.

The vitals were normal now, and Kate's mind was clearing. The scalpel in her hand was shaking and Jane glanced at her curiously.

"I had to get everyone out," Kate stated.

"Claustrophobic?" suggested Jane.

Kate smiled at Jane; although her smile was unseen, it'd reached her eyes. Kate then instructed Jane to hold the chest flaps together as the doctor sewed the skin, covering the muscle and heart. Daisy watched the surgical technician; she was shaking no doubt but her hands remained still.

"I'm sorry I had to pull you in," Kate told Jane as the teenager was placed in the Intensive Care Unit for recovery.

Jane took off her gown, mask, then gloves and smiled nervously.

"It was an interesting experience," she noted shakily.

"Of course," said Kate. She cleared her throat and added, "You and I will have to fill out a form about what had proceeded in the room."

"Why?" Jane inquired.

"Because, Jane, I had instructed you to do something that was out of your jurisdiction, so in a way, we did something illegal, or at least, I have. So," Kate said gently. "Clean yourself up, and come with me. We have a few items to fill out and then you may be dismissed."

"Yes, Doctor," Jane said, giving her a small bow. Despite her calm disposition, the young woman quickly exited the ER and was bawling as the shock wore off. Daisy met her in the room, watching the doctor with some reverence but also disappointment.

"Why did you choose Jane?" asked Daisy. "She was not by standards qualified to take on a procedure as the one you performed; you realize what you did was completely unethical."

"Unethical?" Kate returned. "She did well."

"But had the tables been turned and the patient have died, you could very well have been canned."

Kate nodded. That was true.

"To answer your question, Daisy, I chose Jane rather than the other ER techs because to me she seemed inexperienced and trustworthy."

"Inexperience is never a good quality when someone is going to be assisting in a surgery," Daisy stated, as though Kate had been out of her mind.

"On a contrary," Kate replied. She smirked and said, "The inexperienced listen more than those who have done something as detailed as I have. Jane had nothing to work by except my instructions and she did them wonderfully."

Daisy shook her head disapprovingly.

"That was risky," Daisy pointed.

"It was," Kate acknowledged. "The next time a teenager caught in the heart with a shrapnel because of a drunk driver comes into my ER room, however, I don't want there to be so many people. It's unnecessary to have five nurses, three surgical technicians, two ER technicians and two doctors in one room with a patient—that room was only meant for five, not thirteen."

Daisy nodded.

Kate and Jane had signed the papers and when the board had told her she was on the first-warning, it was very lenient. When the gang asked about her day that night, Kate was on the verge of frustration when she explained to them what had happened. The group of course were disdained to hear of Kate's warning, despite the circumstances at the time.

However, although the conversation was nice, that night, Kate was under heat; her dreams of the situation had turned out differently than the reality of the outcome, and she woke up from it with a scream of fright and sweaty clothes.

The immediate response to her shrill cry was the three intermittent knocks followed by her name. It was Sheldon. Kate wore the familiar black tank top with her Batman pajama pants, but they were soaked completely from the abrasive sweat of the fear. She turned to the door, hearing the knocks.

"What, Sheldon?"

"Are you all right?"

"Yes."

"You didn't sound okay; can I come in?"

"Only if you want," Kate muttered.

Sheldon entered the room, dressed in blue plaid pajama top and bottoms. He looked at her form, the sweat on her neck, shoulders, and face gave the hint that she'd been frightened.

"Why did you scream?" Sheldon inquired; he looked panicked but now, seeing there was no intruder, he reverted to his calm and inquiring nature. He stood in the doorway, hand on the doorknob.

"I had a bad dream," Kate returned.

"They're rather bothersome, aren't they?" Sheldon remarked.

Kate was slightly surprised by the touch of concern in his voice. He looked a little uncomfortable; granted—he was standing in the doorway of his girlfriend's bedroom.

"Sheldon," Kate began.

"Yes."

"Can I ask you something?"

"Being that our conversations stimulate from the effective questions we exchange with each other, I invite you to ask as many as possible," Sheldon stated gently.

"Was I wrong to ask an inexperienced person to help me in the operation?" Kate said slowly.

Sheldon looked at her. Was there a good answer to this? He shifted the weight of his being from one foot to the other and seeing that the standing made him feel only more awkward, he countered to walk around her bed and sit on the edge of the side opposite of her. Kate looked at him, a hint of curiosity in the emerald orbs of hers.

"Kate," he said gently. "I know you almost as well as I know myself. And you know just as well that inexperienced beings, unlike us, lack the leadership needed to delve into something as detailed and operable as your job includes. From my knowledge, the ignorant are easier to lead and the inexperienced are more apt to do what must be done. It's like teaching Howard to understand physics, except whereas the surgical tech was willing to learn, Howard fails to grip the law of physics despite my earnest will to teach."

Kate looked at him earnestly. He said she was right in doing what she did? Wasn't he just the sweetest?

Kate turned to him.

"But to answer your question," Sheldon said, "I think you were right in having an unqualified person such as Jane do what an experienced would have accomplished." He added as a footnote, "Personally, your fear of being in tight, enclosed spaces would have reverted any illogical fact from being what it is. It interfered with your work, and that's more frustrating than being suspended for lack of responsibility during the circumstantial situation and even Howard and Penny agree with me."

Sheldon shrugged and said, "That, in itself, is rare."

Kate nodded, agreeing that there were many times where Penny, Howard, and Sheldon often disagreed. However, Kate saw something else in Sheldon's manner. The way he sat on her bed—she still couldn't believe that he was on _her bed_—made her think that there was something else he would be saying soon.

"The reason," he began slowly, "that I can understand how something as small and yet so crucial as claustrophobia would be a reasonable conjecture for lack of fortuity that the situation had rendered necessary, is that I have my own problematic cause."

Kate cocked her head to one side. Sheldon had a hard time at work?

"Well," said Kate gently, "if there's a problem at work, since you helped me with mine, maybe I can help you with yours."

Sheldon gave her a skeptical look.

"That would be both a resolution and yet it'd cause an even bigger problem," Sheldon said. He took a breath and said awkwardly, "the cause of my inability to concentrate generates from the general attraction that we have towards each other. It's a problem of neither mind nor heart."

Kate stared at him curiously.

"Are you stuck?" she suggested.

"No, Kate," Sheldon said as though this was impossible. "There have only been a few instances in which my mind could not process the greater and crucial things of the world and its problematic inferences. No, Kate. This is something…well…"

Steadily, he shifted uncomfortably on her bed.

"What?"

Kate crawled to the side of the bed he sat, and she sat on her knees. Sheldon looked at her, as though she was predicating mischief. Her eyes and his met.

"Sheldon," she murmured. "Are you thinking about me at work?"

"Kate, you're my girlfriend. From what I understand of these social conventions, my mind is technically pondering your existence as well as everyone else's. Although," Sheldon said slowly, "it's something more than that."

"What is?"

Sheldon frowned, explaining. "Kate, when I'm at work solving the confirmations that link my String Theory to the elementary connection of Physics, I find myself descending into a much deeper state of mind, a trance, if you will. The problem of it is that while I should be concentrating on the link, I'm imaging…"

Sheldon stopped himself there. Kate found his sudden silence abrasive, and she bit her lip with anxiety. Was he thinking about her in more ways than one, rather than the emotionality of their situation, or the link of intellect between them?

"Sheldon, do you think of me in more ways than just intellect and interest?" Kate said softly. Her voice was sultry, but the concern in her voice was also reflected.

Sheldon raised his chin so he reflected the arrogance, but Kate could tell that she was right. He thought of her physical-wise. Her smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

"I also," Sheldon said even quieter, "that although the contract states that neither of us should compromise the other in physical contact, there are—dare I say it—moments that I would intentionally breach the commerce held in…"

"Sheldon…" Kate interrupted.

Sheldon looked at her, as though waiting for the reason she interrupted him, although there seemed to be the lack of genuine disappointment and offense when she did so. He almost seemed relieved that she did interrupt.

"Yes?"

"Do you want to kiss me?" Kate asked softly. Her heart was emitting quick beats, as though it was undergoing massive arrhythmia.

Sheldon stared at her.

"The answers are multiple," Sheldon said in the same quiet voice. "They vary from every synonym of the word 'yes' to the very deviation of the word 'no'."

Kate stared at him. Was she really hearing this? She had to pinch herself, make sure this wasn't another dream. But lord, if it was, she wanted to keep it going. This was the most progress she had ever made with Sheldon. He wanted to kiss her.

"Perhaps your mind," said Kate slowly, "begs for something less drastic and yet it insists on the matter. Perhaps…" She sat directly beside him, "In order to cure this distraction that festers within that brilliant mind of yours, you have no other option than to confront the cause."

Sheldon looked at her.

"Are you implying that my lack of concentration strive from the very thing that can cure it?"

"I imply, now you infer. Do you agree with the theory?" she asked. She smiled and said, "Because I certainly do."

"Of course you would; it's your theory."

Kate smirked at him. Sheldon looked at her a little longer.

"I just want you to be aware that if this is going to be a reoccurrence in the near future," Sheldon said slowly, "there will be nothing demonstrated in front of an audience. The last thing I want is for my face and rear to end up on another youtube video."

Kate smiled, laughing a little.

"I'm a private person," Kate said gently. "And I don't do youtube."

"That's comforting," Sheldon stated.

They looked at each other a little longer. Sheldon sighed and said quietly, "I guess your theory is more than correct. It's practically logical. Even Spock, I suppose, had to give into certain qualms in order to think straight."

Kate grinned broadly.

"Well, Sheldon, if you have no other theory then—mm—"

Kate was muffled for the very fact that Sheldon pressed his lips against hers. It caught her in mid-sentence but shocked her even more. She felt the softness of them. Her heart was beating out of her chest, threatening to burst through with no objection. Kate then returned the kiss and for a few seconds, they didn't break. Sheldon pulled back though and looked at her.

"Kate."

"Yes?"

"We may have to divulge in another theory," Sheldon muttered.

"Why is that?"

"From my initial experience and now counting this one, I feel that it won't be enough to consummate."

"What are you saying?" asked Kate. Although, she had a feeling she already knew. He wanted more. Sheldon didn't say it, but he kissed her again, this time, it was more forced and passionate. Kate returned it; the next shock was when she felt his bare hands touch her waist, and move against her skin.

"I sure hope with great conviction that this doesn't lead to coitus," Sheldon muttered.

Kate chuckled.

"Not unless you want it to," she pointed out.

Sheldon looked at her pointedly. He stopped kissing her but his hands remained on her waist.

"That was teasing, right?" Sheldon said hopefully.

"Yes, it was. Sorry."

"Shrewd." Sheldon replied coolly. Without warning, he kissed her once more; their lips touched with more pressure and longer. Kate knew she was probably pressing boundaries but his adventurous and scientific curiosity was egging at her to try something.

She briefly opened her mouth and then as her mind begged her not to do it, she touched the tip of her tongue to Sheldon's bottom lip. His reaction was unfathomable; he pulled away, staring at her. But to her anxiety, she couldn't read him clearly. The next thing that happened was not compared to what she expected. Rather than glaring and walking out of the room, Sheldon kissed her—his mouth overtaking hers.

Kate was breathless when she parted her lips and she tasted him in her mouth. They were slow but the make-out was constant. Kate heard Sheldon ever so softly moan when she playfully bit his tongue. Kate touched his shoulders, they were broad; she felt his hands on her waist and ever so slightly, he pulled her to him.

Then there was the constant vibration on the end table; her phone was ringing. Kate broke the kiss and began to stand up to get it but Sheldon seemed to have a different opinion. He took her wrist, pulled her to him, and her back collided against the wall; he had her pinned against the surface by her hands on either side.

"Sheldon, the phone…"

"Kate," Sheldon said—the way he said her name made her stop talking altogether. He'd said it breathlessly, but what made her stomach drop in lust and her loins to burn was that he sounded helpless.

Kate glanced at the vibrating mechanism that might as well have been several miles away from her. She looked at him.

"I guess the phone can wait." Kate murmured.

As though this was the invitation, Sheldon pressed his mouth against hers, the passion felt in the way their tongues moved. His hands moved from hers and moved to her hips; under her shirt, he felt her lower back. His right hand grazed over the tattoo embedded there and knowing this, Kate was practically bursting with desire.

Kate touched her hands along the front of his pajamas, and then wrapped her arms around his neck. To her surprise, he touched the back of her knees and lifted them, equally pushing her against the wall, hoisting them around him.

Another surprise was that she now knew what made Sheldon helpless, his tone evading the sheer confidence and control when the clear evidence was digging into the inner thigh of her Batman pajama bottoms.

The knowing that he was attracted to her _that _way made Kate softly moan in his mouth as the kiss became more passionate, intense, and never-breaking. It was as though it would never end and then, it did.

The door was knocked on only two sharp times before it opened and there stood Leonard and Howard looking livid. The entry of the two was immediate, and so was the ending of the passionate kissing. Kate lowered her legs to the floor and Sheldon turned around. Kate expected him to be indignant, maybe throw her to the side but instead, he was angry.

"I'm sorry," said Sheldon coldly, "but I can't recollect ever giving permission to enter the premises, more to the fact," he inclined his hand to the apartment itself, "how did you even get in?"

"We used Penny's emergency key," Howard said just as coldly. "Lemme get this straight; I get a five hour lecture between Bernie and my mother, and Leonard gets a cockblock from Penny because of that stupid stunt you pulled two days ago, and _you're_ the one getting action?"

"Action is depicted as—"

"Shut up, Sheldon," Leonard snapped. "We came to say you had no right to tell Penny what I was up to."

Kate stepped towards Leonard and returned vehemently, "He didn't say a word to Penny; I did. And FYI, what Sheldon and I do in our apartment is none of your business. You could have at least called."

"We _did _call—three times!" Howard said. He smirked nastily at Kate, saying, "But now it's clear why neither of you heard it."

"My phone was placed on Vibrate," Kate retorted.

"Something _else _was placed on Vibrate too evidently," Howard said, chuckling, looking at Sheldon.

"That's it," said Kate. "You're getting another beating." She advanced towards the little man but Sheldon placed an arm in front of her.

"No, he's not."

"But, Sheldon…"

Sheldon gave her a look and Kate bowed her head sadly.

"Fine," She said quietly.

"First off," Sheldon began, "Kate's correct; I never said a word to Penny. And I wasn't going to say anything to Kate until she revealed to me what I considered to be loss of self-esteem as she revered that I was ashamed of her company, which was assuredly a misunderstanding. Secondly,"—Sheldon crossed his arms and said to Leonard—"While it may have set off ripples in your sexual relationship with Penny, I have no qualms in having intervened in your tide pool of deception."

"Well, I—" Leonard had begun but to Kate's delight, Sheldon wasn't quite finished.

"And lastly," Sheldon said coldly. "While you two"—he pointed to Howard and Leonard—"may deem it appropriate to enter a lady's bedroom uninvited, I will say otherwise."

With that, Sheldon walked out of the room. It was curious as to where he was going, so Kate followed after him and Howard and Leonard did as well. Sheldon walked into the hallway, through the living room, opened the front door and crossed the hall. It was obvious to Kate where he was going and to whom but the engineer and experimental physicist were ignorant.

That was until Penny stormed in and said disingenuously, "They did _what?_" Without remorse, Penny took Leonard and Howard by the ear and marched their hinies right out of the apartment with Sheldon on-looking disdainfully and Kate was laughing.


	36. The Dominating Inquiry

Chapter Thirty-Six: The Dominating Inquiry

**Author's Note: **This is a very short chapter, I know, compared to the others, but it's a major insight of what happened last chapter in Sheldon's perspective. There'll of course be more moments like the ones in the last few chapters so be patient and read on As usual, read, review, or PM me your favorite parts in the story, or what you hope will happen. If I'm feeling generous, you may see your anticipated dreams come to life!

Sheldon lay in his bed, looking up at the ceiling. What had permitted him to sleep only for a few hours had rest assured become the same reason for what was keeping him up now? The 'action' (as Howard had so put it) had caused his inner human to fire up. Speaking of which, it had only been the said few hours since his and Kate's minor breach of the contract—they'd kissed passionately and for a moment, Sheldon had been shocked of himself, but not completely repulsed. He did feel a little taken aback that he had been capable of such actions. The kissing had ended and it had left Sheldon angry—the feeling he'd experienced just by pressing his lips—needless to say, his body—against the teeming warmth and lavishing arms of his roommate had been spontaneous. Like before, he'd lost control. Although he despised such feelings in most conditions, it had been slightly different.

It was pleasure he'd felt in kissing Kate. Their bodies molded as one, as though she was meant to be pressed between her bedroom wall and him.

_Get a grip, Cooper. _

Sheldon nodded at the mental scorning. He was definitely losing it. But the fact remained; it did feel a little better. He was pondering the questions of string theory, slowly linking its factors to other factors. Numbers molded together and formed a genuinely mathematically correct equation. Answers came to him quicker.

_We might have been wrong to assume that the physical confrontation of mindless contact would be insufficient._

Sheldon frowned at that part of his brain. Was there a real part of him that pointedly noted that the answers were finally appearing based on his physical desire having finally been half-extinguished just through kissing and touching Kate?

No, he argued. The answers would've occurred to him _long _time ago. They'd just been stewing in the back of his brain.

_Yes, true, but somehow _it _had blocked any path of getting there. You can't admit it, not openly anyway. Kate sure helped._

Sheldon recognized that his mind referred to the act of touching—any form really—as an 'it', rather than putting a certain definition to any certain word. The vagueness was easy to adhere to, so it meant anything between coitus and hand-holding.

However, Sheldon quietly admitted, to his mind of course and no one else, that Kate was rather…What was the word? Soft, gentle, submissive—the words were a good combination of what he was searching for, but didn't completely describe it. He wasn't exactly empowered—no…that wasn't the word.

Sheldon curled his lips in search of the word. Pushing Kate against the wall, hearing the softest sighs and moans escape her lips and enter his own, and the way she tugged at his pajamas when the kissing became heated, intimate, and passionate—

_Dominant?_

Ah, Sheldon sighed. That was the word. He knew there was something that happened that made him feel a little empowered; he was in control of the whole situation. She was submissive to anything he did, anything…

Why would that push him to lead in physical experimentation?

_Think about it, Cooper. You need everything a certain way, your routine begs it. Kate's a dominating fiery vixen—you saw the way she was ready to punch Wolowitz. Her submission favored your need for domination over the situation. _

Sheldon stared. What the hell? How did Leonard's mother's voice enter his head? However, it wasn't completely illogical. Beverly Hofstadter was a smart woman; she knew her stuff, which was for sure, and was an expert in her field of psychiatry and psychology. She was right about most things, and surely, she was right about this? Sheldon sighed.

He _did _have control of the situation, now that he thought about it. Hmm…perhaps this relationship did have a means of settling nagging bodily functions. For one of them anyway—Sheldon knew his body had betrayed him; the swelling of nether regions, the blood that surged down there…Dear Lord, what was he getting himself into? Not that he could get himself out… Sheldon made a face agreeable…that was a pun his mind had intended, probably.

Sheldon shook his head and sat on the side of his bed. Was he really going to suggest this to Kate? Was he really going to acknowledge his physical baser urges to the one woman that was capable of settling them?

Sheldon laid back in bed; that could wait until morning…or never.

He closed his eyes and went to sleep. The situation was settled, for now.


	37. The Paintball Commemoration

Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Paintball Commemoration

It had been a week since the discovery of Leonard's deceitful ploy and since then, the gang had made reparations. While Howard, Leonard and Stuart didn't care for being around Sheldon since the whole plot had come out (and the girls had been a little snarky), it was time to lay down the line, especially since this was Paintball Weekend. At first it was going to be the guys (Stuart, who'd become part of the game since Amy and his fling, Howard, Leonard, Sheldon, and Raj), but on the way there, the girls had become riled with the idea of having girls VS guys.

While in Kate's bought Batmobile (the car that resembled much like Batman's tank), Sheldon (in the passenger seat, of course), Kate was driving, and Howard, Penny, Leonard, and Raj sat in the back. Amy and Bernadette and Stuart rode in Amy's car.

"Come on!" Penny began persuading. She looked at Leonard. "It'll be me, Kate, Amy, and Bernadette against you, Sheldon, Stuart, Howard, and Raj."

"Won't work," Sheldon voiced automatically.

"Why?" Penny said, clearly affronted.

"There's four women and five men." Sheldon stated.

"So we're off by one," Penny said.

Kate glanced at her from the rearview mirror, returning, "Penny, I'm sure you can take them on with your Nebraskan fury, but Sheldon has a point; the numbers are odd."

"Actually, they're even," said Leonard, looking at Penny with admirable support.

Sheldon leaned over the passenger seat and looked at Leonard pointedly, "They're odd. Four against five are odd chances, and the number totaled is nine, which is odd."

"No, Sheldon—I'm talking about Penny pretty much counts for two people!" Leonard stated.

"Penny is one person," Kate responded.

"Oh will you stop speaking up for Sheldon?" Leonard stated aggravatedly. "You're only doing that because you're like a thing now."

Sheldon and Kate looked at Leonard (Kate via rearview mirror, and Sheldon turning around). Together they said incredulously: "A _thing_?" Sheldon continued, as Kate's attention had remained on the road.

"Kate and I are in a Roommate-Relationship agreement," Sheldon stated factitiously. "In no way, are we an object."

"No, Sheldon, he's meaning that you're an item."

"Like I said," Sheldon said, "Kate and I are not an item or an object."

Penny and Leonard looked at each other exasperatedly while Howard took this opportunity to weigh in, his voice obviously trying to mask the darkest part of his mind.

"No, Sheldon. Leonard's saying that you and Kate have now consummated a sexual relationship, concerning the fact that Leonard and I caught you two pushed against a wall." Howard said.

Penny was the first to react; her eyes widened with awe and shock. She leaned in between Sheldon and Kate, looking at the two of them as though they were talking dolphins.

"You two were making out?" She exclaimed in a high-pitched voice. "Oh, my god, when did this happen?"

Sheldon shook his head disdainfully while Kate glanced at her, as though Penny had a chicken doing a magic show on her head.

"Kate, it wasn't anything big," Kate stated. Although in her mind, she was grinning broadly. It wasn't sex, by any means of the word, but it'd caused similar orgasmic pleasure to have Sheldon pushing her against the wall, and his arousal against her thigh. That had been enough for her to practically have damp dreams in the middle of the night.

"Wasn't anything _big_?" Penny said. Her mouth was wide open. "Are you kidding me?"

"No," said Howard, grinning widely; he knew he'd popped some kind of bubble between Kate and Sheldon, and the two were avoiding each other's gazes. Penny turned to him for information as the two were not the kiss-and-tell type.

"What happened?" She said.

Her eyes were wide, hungry for information. "Did they make-out? Were they doing it?"

"Her legs were around him, that's for sure," Howard said; he was looking awfully proud of himself for sharing this juicy gossip with Penny. Leonard, on the other hand, was looking at Howard and Penny like they had lost their minds. He seemed to not like the idea of sharing this information with Penny—the two were right in front of him.

To Howard's statement, Penny enthused in a high-pitched squeal, not unlike the one she had when she found out about the Shamy, or when she found a good pair of shoes on sale for 90 percent clearance.

"What else?" Penny persisted. Her hands were clasped with eagerness.

"Well—" Howard began.

"Howard," said Sheldon, turning to look at him. "If you are so keen on describing to Penny exactly what happened that night, I'm more than willing to describe to her why you were doing there in the first place." He gave a warning glare to Leonard and Howard; Penny's excitement for Sheldon and Kate's first physical musing had ebbed, as she turned to Leonard with suspicion.

"Was this the same night that Sheldon said you two had broken into Kate's bedroom?" Penny said, pointing to the two men in the back seat with her.

"No," Leonard and Howard said in unison, sounding as though this couldn't be true, remotely.

"Yes," Sheldon said automatically afterwards. He was reading a comic book on the way to the paint ball area. He flipped the pages ideally, but was proving a point that Leonard and Howard were lying, yet again, to her. Penny frowned deeply.

"Really, Leonard? You went into Kate's bedroom and asked why on earth she told me about what you all were up to?"

"Well…I mean, I…" Leonard said. He looked at Kate in need of support. "Kate, would you like to back me up on this?"

"Nope," Kate returned, staring at the road.

"Great, you're a real friend." Leonard said.

"Look," said Howard to Penny, "I know we did something bad, but it was a mistake. We didn't mean to hurt you all, we just wanted to see the movie. Right, Leonard?"

"Right. You know you're my girl, Penn; I'd do anything for you," Leonard sugared.

Penny seemed to fall for his sweet-talk for she mellowed down immediately and turned to Kate.

"So, Kate, how did it feel to be kissed by the Homo-Novus?" Penny teased.

"It was efficient, as is everything else Sheldon does," said Kate coolly.

Sheldon seemed to receive a small electric shock from her comment; he seemed to have not expected her to reply anything at all. He glanced at Kate, at his friends, then back at Kate, who returned a small smile to him. Sheldon cleared his throat, feeling a little uncomfortable. He started to read his magazine.

During the Paintball shoot-out, Kate and the rest of them wore their gear. In the end, they descended into anarchy and Bernadette and Howard shot at each other, in perhaps hopes of obtaining some kind of ambiguous trust with one another through paint ball war.

Sheldon and Kate ran across the field and caught them. Kate looked at Amy for a moment; Amy glanced at her then at Sheldon. She turned to Stuart who smiled dopely at her and said, "Well, it looks like our inappropriate risky antics have founded us out."

Sheldon frowned.

"Why are you engaging in—DIVE!" He, Stuart, Amy, and Kate ducked a propelling group of wet bullets and the four stared at the rock that had gotten the fire instead.

"What the hell?" Kate muttered. She turned to Sheldon. "I thought the astrological department was on _our _team?"

"Apparently, we have a mutiny," said Sheldon.

"Argh," Amy voiced.

Sheldon and Kate looked at her for the answer of her sudden retort.

"Pirates are frequent characters in story books and live action movies where they engage oftentimes in mutiny, so by the inclination that we are pirates, I advised we all say 'argh'."

"We've not engaged in mutiny," Kate stated. She pointed her gun to the opposing team. "They have."

Amy heard quarreling behind a rock and the four glanced around to see that Howard and Bernadette were shooting their own bullets at each other while Penny and Leonard were doing the same.

"You could have fooled me," Amy said. She turned to Stuart and said with a slight growl in her voice, "Come here, Stewie." She kissed him deeply. Stuart looked at her with a surprise on his face.

"Sheldon," said Kate.

"Yes?"

"I have a suggestion in a way we can win this war."

"Kate, I admire your determination for success but with Amy and Stuart rendered useless, and half our team already disposable in mutinous rivalry, we're practically defeated. All we have left to do is surrender our weapons and hope to a certain deity that they have pity." Sheldon said, glancing disgustedly at Amy and Stuart on the ground and his team arguing on the field (still being shot at by one another).

"I don't like defeat," Kate said. She took off and Sheldon ran after her, leaving Stuart and Amy making out against a rock.

Sheldon dodged a bullet as he pushed his back against a brick wall while Kate kneeled. She loaded her weapon again and Sheldon followed suit.

"We may be two people against…" Kate lifted her eyes up and did a quick count, lowering her head fast enough before a pellet caught her forehead. "All right, we're two against fourteen." She shook her head and said, "Since when does the geology and astrophysical department team up together?"

Sheldon, who was kneeled beside her, gave her a look.

"Oh right," Kate muttered. She shook her head again, disappointed.

"So what's your plan?" Sheldon asked.

"Divide and Conquer," Kate responded; she was breathless as she loaded her gun with the last count.

"Kate, my co-students and I in the fifth grade attempted that once and we all were taken down, one at a time," said Sheldon.

"Better one at a time rather than all at once," said Kate.

Sheldon mused, saying, "For some reason I cannot understand, I hear a sadistic murderer saying that to a suicide bomber."

Kate gave him a dark smile.

"You know," said Kate gently, "It'd be nice if we can get the gang together—make them stop fighting each other and fight the people that are really about to destroy us."

"An amusing idea, but impractical; they're practically shooting each other to smitherings out there," said Sheldon. The two glanced around and saw that the four (Howard, Bernadette, Leonard, and Penny) were all arguing behind a rock. They were no doubt clearing the air.

Narrowly, they missed getting hit as the scientist and surgeon ducked behind their brick protection.

"We attack full throttle," said Kate. "Go in shooting."

"That's suicide," Sheldon hissed.

"It's what has to be done," Kate stated dramatically.

Sheldon stopped her from going by taking her arm and she sat right back down. She looked at him curiously.

"We go together," he said.

Kate and Sheldon gave each other fierce nods and they pulled down their goggles. They stood up quickly and started shooting wildly at the fourteen rivals. As they passed the two arguing couples, it was clear to them that they had caught their attention. It was as if they were in slow motion, heading into a battle that would only render the obvious result.

Penny and Bernadette pulled down their goggles and ran after Kate and Sheldon. Howard and Leonard, seeing their women head into the battle, ran after them. All of them (except for Amy and Stuart) shot wildly.

Penny and Leonard fell to the ground as they were shot repeatedly in the front. Bernadette squealed when she was shot in the back (Howard caught the cheating scumbag with his own rifle and shot the boy in the face). The four watched as Kate and Sheldon acted as a Spy team, covering each other's back. Finally, the only person that remained was, hilariously enough, Leslie Winkle, who made a show down for only a second before aiming her gun at Kate.

"NO!" Sheldon shouted, and he leapt in front of Kate, shot by a blue pellet, and fell to the ground, front first.

Kate cocked her weapon and shot Leslie in the front until she was without any bullets.

"WE WON!" Penny shouted. She leapt up from the ground and hugged Leonard, kissing him furiously.

Bernadette was helped up to her feet by Howard, and the hugged and kissed passionately.

Leslie Winkle glanced down at her front and stared at Kate, who was glaring at her brutally. Sheldon laid at her feet, immovable. Kate knelt down and touched his shoulder. He suddenly sat upright, saying, "DANGER, DANGER!"

"Sheldon, it's me." Kate said.

"Oh," he muttered. He smiled at her. "Did we win?"

"Yeah," Leslie said, laughing at Sheldon. "Dumbass."

Kate stood and took Sheldon's arm, helping him up. Leslie confronted Kate, standing in front of her. Sheldon eyed her suspiciously.

"You've got one hell of a fury when it comes to a game," Leslie stated, pointing out that Kate's furious attack on her way a little over-the-top.

"What can I say?" Kate remarked, blowing the top of her gun. "I was born to kill."

"That's a little dramatic, don't you think?" asked Leslie.

"Nah," Kate returned. "I _live_ for the battle."

Sheldon looked at her as Leslie shook her head, leaving the battle field. Leonard and Penny walked over to them, holding each other by the waist.

"You saved her life," Penny said, smirking at him.

Sheldon glanced at Kate, his face was pink. Kate grinned broadly at him. Howard and Bernadette joined them.

"I saw what you did to the little boy that shot your wife," Kate said to Howard.

"Did what?"

"You shot him in the face, Wolowitz," Leonard stated pointedly. "You might've blinded him."

"I was avenging Bernie," Howard said, wrapping his arm around Bernadette's shoulder. "No one shoots my woman from behind and gets away with it." He blew the tip of his gun like Kate had.

Leonard looked at Penny.

"You know we would have died together on the battle field?" Leonard inquired.

"Yeah, I know; we didn't have any good-byes," Penny said. She kissed him. "I'm sorry we've fought this long, Leonard."

"Hey, I'm sorry too," Leonard said.

"Me too," Howard said. Bernadette apologized as well.

Kate and Sheldon glanced at each other.

"I told you there was a way of joining them all together," reminded Kate.

"You were going to sacrifice me for a union of the group's friendship?" Sheldon stated, clearly offended.

Kate smirked at him; she kissed him quickly on the cheek and said, "I wouldn't sacrifice you even if meant Leonard was dying."

"Well," Leonard muttered, "That's a little cold."

After the paintball battle era had ended (for now…) the gang retreated to get Garciomo's pizza. In Kate-Sheldon's apartment, Amy, Stuart, Raj (who was mainly texting his new girlfriend, the Veternarian, Chance), Howard, Bernadette, Kate, Sheldon, Penny, and Leonard sat in the living on the couch, arm chair, computer chair, the two stools, and another chair that Penny took from her apartment to make room for herself.

The talk was constant and when it had died down, it was obvious the group had once more become one. Kate smiled at Sheldon, who returned it.


	38. The Nagging Abnormality

Chapter Thirty-Eight: The Nagging Abnormality

Sheldon woke up the next morning at six-fifteen, as always. His routine had become rather interesting for it'd varied (of course, since Leonard was no longer his roommate and Kate was his roommate for the time being). It consisted in getting up, eating breakfast (Oatmeal, is it was Monday). When he stepped into the hallway, on his way to the kitchen, he heard a woman singing. The singing was unfamiliar but the woman's voice was clearly Kate's. It was a different variable to his normal mornings. It irked him, just to hear her, but it intrigued him of her tone.

Unlike the morning where Penny was singing Shania Twain 'I feel like a woman', and dancing while making French toast (on the similar Monday morning), Sheldon found the singing a little different. Her voice carried in long harmonious tone. She wasn't signing pop or country. It was vocalization, sung in Italian, Mozart's piece: "Marriage of Figaro".

As he walked slowly in the hallway, he noted that her voice was not like the voices singing from the radio. Of course they wouldn't be; she was amateur compared to the opera women, but it was uncanny how the two sounded alike.

Sheldon peeked around and saw Kate boiling something on the stove; she was dressed in something different than her pajamas; in fact, she was dressed in her blue navy scrubs. He entered the kitchen, and she turned. The moment she saw him, she turned off the music and was blushing madly.

"Did I wake you?" She asked.

"No," he said. "I always wake up at six-fifteen exact. You know that."

"Yeah…" She muttered. She smiled. "Oatmeal?"

"I'd love some," Sheldon said, grinning. He sat on the left stool and she pooled the oatmeal into the bowl half-way, handing it to him. He noticed, among her scrubs and opera-singing candor, that she was also wearing latex gloves.

He raised his eyebrows at this and looked at her curiously.

"Kate."

"Yes?"

"How come you are dressed in your scrubs, vocalizing Mozart's piece of 'Marriage of Figaro'?" Sheldon inquired. She handed him a spoon, shortly after, she disposed of her gloves in the canister beside the refrigerator.

"I have to leave for work early," Kate stated, her tone had become immediately exasperated. "I thought I'd make you breakfast before I left."

"Why do you have to leave early?" Sheldon replied. "You're supposed to drive me to work this morning."

"I know," said Kate. "I am. I'll be here in time to drive you to work." She sighed and sat beside him on the other stool. "You of course remember that day at work I told you about where I had pulled Jane, the inexperienced girl, in and had her help me with the surgery?"

"Yes," Sheldon said, nodding. He had an eidetic memory; he remembered, all right. It was also the same night where she had the awful dream, woke him up with her shriek. It was also the same night where they…well, he had breached his own contract with the physical contact, but still to this day, he didn't fully regret it.

"There's an hour-meeting where the board will decide whether my actions were necessary or irresponsible in the matter," said Kate. "If they deem it necessary, I'm free to go. If not, I lose my license."

Sheldon stared at her incredulously.

"Lose your—Kate, you acted out of just cause!"

"I don't think the 'just cause' will matter if I'm no longer able to practice my surgical residency in Pasadena. Ultimately, if I do lose my license to practice here, I'll have to find some other place to live and work there."

Sheldon shook his head.

"No, that won't do. You can find work here—I'm sure Penny will put a good word in the Cheesecake Factory," Sheldon stated.

"Sheldon, I'm not working at a restaurant as a waitress," Kate returned.

"Who says you need to work as a waitress? By your intellectual caliber and leadership, you'd be promoted enough to be manager," Sheldon retorted.

"That's sweet, honey, but I doubt they'll let a woman whose lost her license to practice become manager of a restaurant," Kate remarked. She shook her head. "I'll just need all the luck in the world."

To this, Sheldon snorted. He turned to her completely, oatmeal forgotten.

"Kate, luck is an illusion; one simply manipulates the odds into their favor, causing the generic superstition. By preparing for the trial, you can." He stood.

"It's not a trial. It's a board meeting. Five people will be there and decide my fate; I have no say in the matter." Kate remarked gently.

Sheldon sat down, looking defeated.

"Well," he said. "I'm not one to normally instigate such mythical remarks but because the odds seem already manipulated against your favor, pardon the expression when I say 'good luck'." Sheldon returned. He smiled. "If you do become a waitress at the Cheesecake Factory, I'll give you the privilege of preparing my barbecue bacon cheeseburger."

Kate smiled at him, knowing the gesture was big enough.

"Thanks, Sheldon."

"Don't thank me," Sheldon responded. He stirred his oatmeal. "I'll thank you for not threatening to spit on my cheeseburger."

Kate exhaled a soft giggle and Sheldon realized he made her laugh. He made his breathy laugh and continued eating his oatmeal.

Sheldon sat in his spot. He'd never been so nervous. He felt as though there was an impending doom and almost thought it happened when the door was knocked on a few times with some sharp tapping.

"Come in!" Sheldon called.

The door opened and it was Leonard, Howard, and Raj. They looked at Sheldon curiously. Would he have not answered the door normally? And why, at 8:00 in the morning, was Sheldon still dawned in his red plaid pajamas. Leonard seemed to recognize the situation for how abnormal it was for he slowly edged around the couch to the television. Yes, this was most odd for Babylon 5 was on and Sheldon only seemed to gaze at it with a daze, looking at it, but not watching it.

"Sheldon, I think it'd be stupid to ask, but I'm going to anyway just to be sure," said Leonard slowly. "Is something wrong?"

"Wrong?" Sheldon repeated. He noted Leonard's presence. "What could be wrong? Nothing's wrong."

"Sheldon," said Raj. "You're watching Babylon 5."

"No, I'm not." Sheldon returned. "You know I don't…" He stopped himself when Leonard gestured to the screen and sure enough there it was. Sheldon quickly took the remote and practically stabbed the power button when he saw what his eyes had dared to watch.

"Dear Lord," he muttered.

"Sheldon," Howard said cautiously, "What's going on? You're still in your pajamas, you were watching Babylon 5…" He looked at Sheldon with eyeing suspicion and said in a low voice: "You _are _Sheldon, right?"

Sheldon glared at him.

"Of course I'm Sheldon," he snapped. "Who else would I be?"

Raj sat in the middle cushion, looking at Sheldon.

"What's going on, dude? You're acting crazy…well, more than usual."

"I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested."

Leonard sat in the armchair, and Howard took a seat on the far right cushion, beside Raj. The three looked at Sheldon with curious stares and finally Sheldon sighed, seemingly aware of his own strange behavior.

"I believe my imminent strange behavior circles the pressing matter of Kate's fate," said Sheldon quietly.

Leonard furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity.

"Kate's fate?"

"Yes," said Sheldon.

"Okay," said Raj. "Are you talking about her health or something else? Because, if she's dying, sitting here isn't really doing…"

"She's _dying_?" Sheldon exclaimed.

Raj was quick to comfort, saying, "No, no, no, no, I was just trying to clarify!"

Sheldon put his hand to his chest and said breathlessly, "Well, Raj, if you want clarification, one doesn't try manipulating the elaboration with frightening implications."

"You're right, I'm sorry," said Raj. He gave him a look. "So it's clear to us you're worried about Kate. What's wrong?"

Sheldon calmed down and looked at the three.

"Do either of you three recall the conversation we all had with Kate a week ago, where Kate had explained she'd pulled an inexperienced student in the ER to assist her in a surgery?"

"Yes," said Leonard. "It was the same day that Howard and I caught you all making out in her bedroom." He smirked afterwards. "How can we not remember?"

Sheldon glared at him.

"Will you please concentrate on the matter I'm prepared to release on you or are you going to focus on that impartial technicality?"

"Sorry, Sheldon," Leonard said, clearing his throat and looking morose. "Yes, we remember."

"Well, since that day, Kate has been pressed by the Board at the Pasadena General Hospital. This morning, I awoke to her singing and she was wearing navy blue scrubs."

"She was singing?" asked Howard.

"It was vocalization, to be exact," Sheldon said. "Mozart's 'Marriage of Figaro'…"

"Oh, that's a beautiful piece!" Raj exclaimed.

Sheldon shook his head, trying to circle back to the topic at hand.

"Yes, it is, but shall we segue back to the conversation? Anyway, Kate said that the Board would decide her fate, regarding the continuance of her residency, also regarding the withdrawal of her license for practice. Apparently, the just cause of her actions could have resulted in an unnecessary lawsuit against the hospital. The Board, merely a meeting of five less-than-important people, will decide whether Kate's actions were an irresponsibility conduction of leadership or a _necessary_ irresponsibility."

Leonard stared at Sheldon.

"So," he said, "You're telling me that you are dressed in your pajamas past eight o'clock, watching Babylon 5, and not answering your door because you're worried about Kate's license to practice?"

"No," said Sheldon. "I'm worried that if Kate does lose her license that she will be reduced to nothing but a waitress. In hopes of buoying her spirits to higher levels, I offered her the privilege of tending to my order." He made a small smile and said, "She thought it was a nice gesture."

"Why would she be a waitress?" Howard posed.

Sheldon looked at him.

"You're right, Howard. To assume she'd be a waitress is practically mundane." Sheldon said. "I guess I should have told her she could become an Aerospace Engineer; she might've jumped to that conclusion before descending to morose depression at the idea of being employed in Penny's mindless operations."

Howard stared at him in glaring undertones but it went unnoticed by Sheldon.

"Furthermore, to add to my ever-increasing anxiety, Kate mentioned that in the simulation should she lose her license, she'd have to relocate," said Sheldon. He frowned, saying, "It was yet another reason to opt to being a waitress—or an Engineer, my bad, Howard."

Once more, Howard looked a little annoyed.

"Sheldon," said Raj gently. "From what I understand, Kate is an exceptional woman, regarding personality, charisma, and overall leadership and sweetness. To think the board would just take her license is almost rude."

Sheldon looked to his right at Raj.

"What are you saying?" he asked dolefully.

Howard then explained: "She's obsessed with Batman, dresses in Batman pants, and has Joker's ink tattooed to her back. She's a bitch when she's pissed and has a certain blood lust during Paintball that's both hot and terrifying. To think that she'd simply stand by and watch her license being taken from her is almost ignorance at its best."

Sheldon stared at Howard.

"Normally I wouldn't say it, but that is very insightful, Howard," said Sheldon notably (while Howard stared at him again with a WTF expression). He turned to Leonard. "Leonard, do you believe Kate would argue her actions as well?"

"No doubt," Leonard returned, his voice taking on a gangsta's accent.

The other three stared at him, looking a little taken aback. Leonard smiled reproachfully and said, "Amy and I are learning street talk for fun."

"Right," Howard muttered. He shook his head. "The point is, Sheldon, you shouldn't let your anxiety for Kate's future dampen your own life. I mean, she can take care of herself. After all, she got hijacked and she still had some high spirits during that catastrophe as well."

Sheldon glanced at Howard then to Leonard, saying, "Since when does Howard have a deep learning of Kate?"

Howard grinned proudly. Leonard shrugged. Sheldon shook his head.

"I guess you all are right." He frowned. "I still presume the high knowledge of her since she is my roommate as well as my girlfriend. I just have that horrible feeling in my gut that something's gone wrong."

"That's just your worry for Kate," Howard said. "Maybe your feelings for her are deeper than you think."

Sheldon stared at him, saying, "All right, there's the Howard I know. Only an Engineer would say something _that _stupid."

He stood and went into the bathroom to change into his clothes. Leonard and Howard stared at each other. The Sheldon Cooper they knew was back.


	39. The Damnable Consistency

Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Damnable Consistency

**Author's Note: **Thank you so much for the reviews; you all spoil me! ^_^

Although he contemplated the amount of worry, Sheldon had devised that, like the situation he endured while being attracted to Kate in the most inappropriate fashion, Sheldon applied the distractions to fit the situation, in which he found himself. He played his video games and yet, even as his day progressed—as it was a Saturday—he didn't know if he should actually continue his routine. What was the point in continuing the routine if it would only be ruined just a few minutes later when (or, hopefully, 'if') Kate would tell him she would no longer be part of his routine.

Allocating to this, Sheldon prepared his whites and personals, and headed down to the Laundry Room, at 8:15. He couldn't stop his routine, despite his worry that Kate would soon be no longer part of it.

As Sheldon descended down the stairs, he thought of her for a moment. It was interesting how he managed to work her into the whole scheduled day. During the mornings, she had become rather inviting, making his breakfast (per the written and PDF filed scheduled meals). She ordered the pizza on Thursdays, and the proper cuisines. She was adamant about not being in the bathroom at eight in the morning and was quiet when he went to bed at nine o'clock the previous night. More importantly, she was never late in driving him to work, and actually spoke to him during those drives, even though he realized that their conversations mainly circled around the same topic of her theories of Batman.

Sheldon frowned as he entered the Laundry Room. His scheduled routine couldn't handle training another roommate when she performed every task so perfectly. He looked at the door nervously. Was there a way to keep her here, even if she did lose her license? Sure, she might be able to work for him (or with, depending on the context one used) like he'd secured Raj when the Indian friend was about to be deported. But Kate was not a scientist; she was an experienced surgeon. Although, thinking about it, Sheldon proposed quietly that Amy could use a surgeon, although Kate's expertise relied solely on surgery, on the researching ability of a neurobiologist.

Digging a little deeper into his humane qualities, Sheldon also felt a tinge of fear, the earnest will to keep her here, mainly because she was his intellectual equal. He had Amy to talk to about science, but Kate never proposed idiotic questions that had no meaning to his work, interests, or really anything.

Even deeper, Sheldon knew, Kate was his girlfriend. All the more, he was becoming quite attached to her. Should she leave…?

"Damn this affair," Sheldon muttered as he placed his clothes, one item at a time, in the washer. He could have lived easily with just Leonard being his roommate, but he had to be adventurous for once in his life and add Kate to his Facebook.

"Damn what?"

Sheldon jumped and quickly turned to see Penny. She was holding her own white basket of clothes, but she seemed to have heard his muttered statement, for she was smirking at him, but also holding a questionable amount of concern in her face. Sheldon had grown knowingly of her facial expressions; it was Kate's or the other guys' expressions he had trouble figuring out, but hers had become quite calculating these past few weeks.

"This affair," Sheldon finished.

"Kate?"

Sheldon frowned, suddenly.

"Why do you assume it's always about her?" asked Sheldon.

Penny shrugged and began stuffing her clothes all at once in the other washer, while Sheldon watched, feeling a little disturbed about the treatment she regularly lashed out to her clothing. He leaned against the table, crossing his arms. After stuffing her clothes in the washer, just as the Grinch stuffed the tree up into a chimney, she turned around to him, shortly after starting the washer.

"Because, Sweetie, you're not only roommates with her, but you're, you know, her _boyfriend_."

"'Ours' is only the relationship of the mind," Sheldon stated.

"Oh come off it, Sheldon."

"Come off what?" Sheldon replied, sincerely confused. "I'm not on anything."

Penny stood in front of him, repeating his gesture as she crossed her arms, though she perceived to be more out of confidence rather than him.

"I've seen the way you look at her, and especially, how she looks at you," Penny stated. "You may think all you have is intellect but it's clear you've not been able to take your eyes off her since you two were caught making out in her bedroom."

"That's utter nonsense," Sheldon said, snorting derisively. "You've obviously become blind as well as everyone else."

"Are you sure you're not the one that's blind?" Penny countered.

Sheldon eyed her suspiciously. Penny shook her head and put her hands on her hips.

"Sheldon, I know you have a thing about not touching people or kissing, but I can tell a few things about a person when they want nothing more than to bed them. You may deny your 'baser urges' but given the circumstances, I bet you want nothing more than to get her into your bed," Penny dared. She smirked, adding, "Or vice versa."

"Now, _that _is ridiculous," Sheldon remarked, frowning.

"Is it?" Penny challenged. She sighed, saying, "Sheldon, you can deny it all you want, but you're physically attracted to Kate. And even more, I'll go as far as saying that you have feelings for her."

"Ugh, you sound like Wolowitz; he said the same stupid thing," Sheldon scoffed, shaking his head. "What is with you all and emotional attachment; I—"

"Sweetie, don't you even go as far as telling me you don't feel squat for that woman," said Penny sternly.

Sheldon looked at her, mouth open, almost ready to retort but she interrupted him.

"You can't tell me you feel diddly squat for her. You risked your life for her at the paintball game—"

"—That was just a game—," interjected Sheldon, but Penny continued as though she'd not heard him.

"You made out with her in her bedroom."

"That was, and still is, considered a strike."

"Sheldon, you worry about her when she may lose her license thingy."

"She's my girlfriend; I'm obligated to worry about her."

Penny frowned, her eyes slightly glaring.

"You're telling me you don't feel anything for her?" Penny remarked coolly.

Sheldon slightly twitched; he could feel the nervous tics starting. Penny was starting to get under his skin, definitely. He didn't want to think about just how much Kate mattered to him. She was a consistent part of his schedule, so he told Penny.

"Of course she is," Penny returned. "She's your roommate and girlfriend—you're practically attached to her wherever you go."

"She's my transportation; of course I am," Sheldon argued.

"I'm not talking about physically, Sheldon. You like her enough you don't want to see her go. I bet you're practically scared over the idea of her being completely gone from your routine, right?" Penny said, her voice taking on a challenging tone.

Sheldon frowned again.

"That's preposterous…"

"Is it?" Penny rebound. "She makes your breakfast, drives you places, doesn't sit in your spot constantly. She doesn't change the thermostat, doesn't argue with the movies you insist on watching, and she's a bad ass when it comes to paint ball. She defends you against Leslie and pretty much insults her right there. Even more to the point, she prefers—for reasons I don't understand—to hang out with you than me."

Sheldon looked at Penny incredulously.

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but you're right, Penny. She _does_ encircle my very world." Sheldon sighed. "But if she loses her license to practice, she'll have to relocate."

"That's true," Penny sympathized.

Sheldon looked dazed and then suddenly, he looked at Penny with the normal expression of what he perceived when an absolutely brilliant idea occurred to him.

"If that happens, I'll have no choice but to go with her," Sheldon stated.

"What?"

"You're correct about her being a major part in my routine. It'll ruin everything, and throw my days of living into utter chaos. One of two things will have to happen; she'll have to keep her residency, or, I'm going to have to find a new place for us to live." Sheldon said.

Penny blinked.

"You can't be serious!" She exclaimed.

"Penny, I've never been more serious," he returned, his voice was lower than usual. He shook his head and said, "Would you like to know something that deeply concerns me and an ideal that has never occurred to me, until now?"

"Sure, Sweetie."

Sheldon looked at her; he shifted uncomfortably for a moment then said with the calculating voice of one deciphering their feelings: "In any circumstance, I'd not have obsessed over any detail that contained my scheduled routine of my day-in or day-out. Never has my universe encircled around a single humanoid as it does around Kate; it's unnerving."

Penny smiled endearingly. It was his own way of saying that if Kate left him, he'd buy twenty-five more cats.

"That's sweet, Sheldon," said Penny.

"Are you kidding?" Sheldon remarked, sounding indignant. "It's frustrating as hell. If I had no attachment or dependency on Kate Burns, nor the equal amount of physiological attraction, I may have ridden myself of countless sleepless nights. It's an abomination of this scientist's mind; all I ever think about when I'm working in my office is if Kate's health is in good measure and whether or not she'll clean the bathroom."

"Clean the bathroom?"

"The only measurable flaw," said Sheldon, uncrossing his arms. "She forgets to disinfect the bathroom after her showers. Come to think of it, I've given her more leniency these past few days. I fail to understand why."

"You feel sorry for her situation and want to make her feel comfortable?" Penny offered.

"No, that's not it," said Sheldon. He struggled to find the answer and sighed sharply when it didn't come fast enough. "It's a damnable affair, I tell you, Penny. Things might be better off if Kate never followed me on Twitter."

"Is that what you truly feel?"

Sheldon and Penny quickly turned and saw Kate standing at the doorway, her eyes masking the hurt that Penny could clearly see. What Sheldon saw was her figure standing in the doorway, arms crossed, eyes unblinkingly staring at him; the expression he saw was that Kate was not happy.


	40. The Laundry Indifference

Chapter Forty: The Laundry Indifference

Kate advanced towards Sheldon, her arms crossed. The washer began vibrating as it normally did when it reached its scrubbing cycle. Meanwhile, Kate looked both hurt and angry. Sheldon stood, shocked, while Penny seemed to have that 'awkward' facial expression. She was about to caught in the crossfire of the two; she took a few steps back, standing in front of the washer and Kate entered the room completely, her eyes locked directly into Sheldon's.

"Do you really feel that way about me, Sheldon? Do you want me gone?" Kate remarked coolly.

Penny bit her lip; Kate's tone was lacking in pain but her eyes were narrowed, albeit they seemed to making an effort to hold whatever pain they contained as well. Sheldon looked at her, clearly uncomfortable with the soon-to-be weepy Kate, a site that none of them had ever seen before.

"Well," said Sheldon.

"Because if that's what you truly feel, then maybe I don't have to keep my residency here," said Kate. "I wouldn't mind taking on a different job because, personally, my job here gives me hell every day."

"Kate…"

"Penny," said Kate immediately, turning to her. "You're right that Sheldon has trouble revealing his true feelings for people. But, for the sake of the argument, I'd like you stay out of this."

Penny held up her hands in solitary surrender.

Sheldon looked at Penny then to Kate.

"I know what this looks like," Sheldon said slowly, "but I can explain."

"Then explain," Kate returned coldly.

Sheldon opened his mouth to speak but nothing came out. He cleared his throat and glanced from her to the floor, managing, "Never mind, it's exactly what it looks like."

"Sheldon, I know you don't want me to lose my residency, because I do know I'm part of your schedule. But if all I am to you is part of your routine, then I have no real point in trying to argue a case to keep my residency here…"

"Kate…" Sheldon began but Kate stopped him.

"I'm not finished."

"Okay," he said quickly.

"Although I've always been independent, I won't deny that you, too, have become a crucial part in my day-to-day plans," Kate said. She shrugged, saying, "I just got so used to your routine that somehow I've adopted it."

Sheldon smiled and said, "Oh good."

"I'm not done."

"Sorry." He said quickly.

"Now," said Kate curtly. "You said that if it weren't for my following you on Twitter that your impending doom would not exist, and saying so, you're saying you wished we never met."

"Yes," said Sheldon, misreading her tone.

"Is that what you want?" Kate asked.

"I'm sorry; what are you asking? Unless you've devised some time machine, which I doubt as I'm the scientist, and you're the surgeon—" Sheldon began but Kate interrupted, her voice nearly reaching levels of anger and frustration.

"I'm not talking about some stupid time machine, Sheldon!" Kate snapped. She stepped towards him. "Do you wish you never met me?"

"One's wish is not the mere beginning of revisiting the moment in that exact time frame and twisting it so one cannot encounter the situation again," Sheldon said. "In order to do that, one has to invent a time machine."

Kate frowned deeply.

"If you wished you never met me, Sheldon, you don't need a time machine to turn back time."

"Of course you do; hence _time _machine, a mechanism related to time," Sheldon pointed out. He shook his head and said, "Honestly, Kate, I think hanging out with Penny and her friends has lowered your intelligence."

"This isn't about me, Sheldon, this is about _you_," Kate snapped, poking him hard in the chest. "You're insisting on talking about a stupid time machine because you're trying to avoid the true problem. You want to fix it, you confront it!"

"I know how to fix a problem," Sheldon retorted; his meek demeanor had diminished in the defense of her belittling comment.

"Then fix it! Do you or do you not wish to be with me?" Kate demanded. "If not, I can leave. If so, then you tell me right here and now, with Penny being the witness, than you simply cannot live without me because I mean more to you than just a part of your stupid schedule."

"My routine isn't stupid."

"So not the point!" Kate snapped angrily.

Sheldon stepped towards her.

"I disagree," Sheldon rebound. "You are under the impression that your absence from my schedule day-to-day routine would be impartiality to it, and I deny that assumption."

"Do you?" Kate responded coldly.

"Emphatically so," Sheldon stated. "You're under the impression that your existence cannot be substituted so easily; that, I remotely disagree."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"You can drive yourself to work?" Kate retorted.

"I have my friends to do that for me."

"You have someone to make your breakfast in the morning or—"

"That's a favor to me that you choose to do; it's not a necessity," Sheldon responded.

Kate frowned, her eyes narrowing.

"Besides me, who else would you consider as your equal?" Kate responded curtly.

"Amy Farrah Fowler," Sheldon stated firmly. "Kate, you are not the only one that stands as my intellectual equal. We may not be in the similar grounds of a relationship but I consider Amy to be a fair weather friend, and we still talk on daily basis. Your absence would only concede her to be the next-best thing to a confidant."

Kate stared at him incredulously.

"You'd replace me that easily?" Kate returned.

Sheldon raised his chin proudly, stubbornly.

"Yes, Kate. All things in my life can be replaced or substituted for genuine likeness and appeal, even Penny, even you," Sheldon stated boldly.

"So," she said, "you're saying that even if I have to move somewhere else, that my absence would have no effect on you what so ever?"

"Were you not listening? Was I being too subtle?" Sheldon remarked.

Kate stepped back from him, her eyes watering up. She looked from him, to Penny, whose eyes betrayed the sympathy. Kate then angrily looked at Sheldon.

"If I mean so little to you, Sheldon Cooper, why the hell would people say that you've been worried about me?" Kate asked coldly. Her tone was angry—the hurt was clear, but her eyes were blaring.

Sheldon stared at her, his stubbornness losing its defense as he gazed at a weepy, and yet also indifferent, Kate.

"They just talk, you know how gossip…" Sheldon began but Kate advanced.

"You tell me right here and now Sheldon Cooper that you don't feel anything for me: feelings or anything. You tell me straight out that if I left right now, you wouldn't miss me, or go out and buy twenty-five cats because you want to so easily replace me. You tell me,"—Sheldon backed up against the table as Kate's eyes glared at him with daggers—"that you wouldn't miss me."

"I…" Sheldon began but Kate wasn't finished.

"What if, Sheldon, we broke up, and I became available. Could you watch me make breakfast for, oh, I don't know, Stuart, or hey, maybe Raj? Would you be able to watch me offer them a hot beverage if they had a bad day at work?" Kate asked.

"Stop," Sheldon muttered.

"Could you bare if I let them have my spot on the couch so that they have a permanent place in my life, rather than you—"

"I said, _stop_ _it_!"

Kate and Penny stared at Sheldon, as though they'd experienced an electric shock. Sheldon was twitching, his frown deep, and his eyes blaring—as formerly Kate's had done. He glanced between Kate and Penny then passed the two, fleeing from the room.


	41. The Apologizing Prowess

Chapter Forty-One: The Apologizing Prowess

**Author's Note: **I sure hope I haven't broken a fourth wall with this chapter, as this chapter strays from Sheldon to a 'T', but hopefully, it's satisfactory for those who were disappointed when Leonard and Howard got in the middle of it. Please read and review, and tell me what you think about it. Love u reviewin' peeps!

Kate looked at Penny incredulously; she hadn't expected such a human outburst come out of Sheldon. Penny seemed shocked as well, for she stepped into the hallway to see where Sheldon had gone. Kate joined her and saw that Sheldon was nowhere to be seen.

"I think you got to him," Penny stated.

"I guess." Kate muttered.

Kate was in between of being guilty and satisfied. She was guilty for causing Sheldon imminent discomfort, but her satisfaction stemmed from his instinctive performance of passion, the same unbridled passion she had experienced once in her own bedroom. The memory still haunted her wet dreams, and Kate crossed her arms.

"You know," Penny said, "that's not the first time I've seen him act like this."

"Really?" Kate remarked, surprised.

"Yeah; he was this way when Leonard and I were in a fall-break, which lead to a break-up. That was a year or so ago. We got into an argument and he started making sno-cones."

Kate stared at her.

"Sno-cones?"

"To drown out the yelling," Penny clarified.

"Ah. Right."

"Yeah. I'm not a psychologist or whatever but I think that you upset him with the idea that you could replace him." Penny stated, looking at Kate knowingly. "Like it upset you when he said he could replace you." She smiled and said ironically, "Because, like, he's _so_ irreplaceable." She made a theatrical dramatic gesture with her hands and Kate nodded.

"He is," Kate muttered.

Penny looked at her curiously.

"So you don't deny you have feelings for him?"

"Deny?" Kate repeated, looking at her. "I've never denied it. No one ever asked me."

"Oh." Penny uttered. "So how much of that did you hear?"

"Everything."

"Really?"

"Yeah, I was standing outside the hall while you all talked," Kate returned.

"Well, that's kind of awkward," Penny muttered, scratching the back of her head. "So you heard my reverse psychology thing going on with Sheldon when I told him that he probably wants you in his bed?"

"Yeah," said Kate. She beamed and said, "Do you think so?"

"What?"

"Do you think he wants me that way?"

"Don't know, Sweetie; Sheldon is Sheldon. No one's figured out his deal yet."

"His deal?"

Penny made a nervous chuckle, saying, "I'd tell you the theories that Leonard and Howard have come up with but that might give you nightmares too."

"Oh," said Kate. "Then I don't want to know."

"I wish I was given the same circumstance," said Penny. She glanced at the washer, which made a small ding, which only meant Sheldon's clothes were done washing.

"I'll get that," said Kate. She put Sheldon's laundry into the dryer (separately by color) and Penny watched her with a shocked expression on her face.

A few minutes later, the dryer dinged and Kate took out his clothes, placing them on the table. To Penny's increasing surprise, Kate took out the folding board and began folding Sheldon's clothes similar to how Penny had seen him fold. It was like watching a monkey talk perfect English.

"How—um…" Penny began.

Kate looked at Penny, and smiled, knowingly.

"Sheldon and I have done laundry together plenty of times where I've learned." Kate remarked.

Penny stared at her.

"That's incredible—kinda scary, but still." Penny noted.

"I deem it romantic," Kate returned reasonably. She placed the clothes in the laundry basket according to t-shirt, delicates, long-sleeve shirts, and pants; the towels and wash cloths came next and she folded them as agile and neatly as Sheldon did. Penny still stared even when Kate took the basket and walked out of the room.

Kate opened the door to the apartment, and no one was in the living room or kitchen. She knocked on the bathroom door but no answer came. Kate then knew where Sheldon was, and it was only a coincidence—a happy accident—that she had Sheldon's laundry to deliver. Kate stopped in front of his bedroom door.

She knocked three times, and said, "Sheldon." Her voice was empathetic, and gentle. She knew him by now.

No answer came.

She knocked three times again and said in a softer voice, "Sheldon."

No answer.

Kate bit her lip. Why wasn't he answering her? Surely, he was mad, yes, but…

She knocked three times once more and said, her voice betraying her concern and worry, "Sheldon?"

There at first came no response but then the door knob turned and the door opened. Sheldon's appearance shocked Kate. His eyes were red, as though he hadn't slept in days. He sniffled and Kate felt extremely guilty right then and there when she came to the realization: He was crying.

"Kate, by no means am I willing to talk to you," Sheldon said, not looking at her.

"I understand," Kate returned. She handed him the basket. "You left your laundry."

"Thank you," he said. He took the basket but made no effort to move.

"Sheldon…" Kate began.

"What?"

"I didn't mean to upset you," Kate finished gently.

"Really?" Sheldon replied, his voice unsettling between cold and reproachful. He put down the basket and looked at her. "You didn't mean to upset me? On a contrary, Kate, I think that was your intention from the start."

Kate bit her lip again.

"I know you don't want to talk to me," said Kate. "But I'm really sorry for making you feel this way."

"You're sorry for making me feel what way?" Sheldon returned. "Obviously, your intention was initially to make me feel betrayed and abandoned. You would rather relocate to another city and work in the medical profession rather than work as a waitress and stay here with me. In what other way would that make me feel?"

Kate was touched, but she shook her head.

"I'm not relocating."

"What?"

"I'm not relocating," Kate repeated. "The board passed me in my favor."

Sheldon frowned.

"So you'd rather relocate to find another job even though…"

"No, Sheldon, I would not rather relocate. I'm staying here. I choose to stay here," said Kate. "Sheldon…" She sighed. "I only said those things, yes, to hurt you, but because you hurt me. Now you know how it feels to be told you're replaceable. I only did that to make you feel the same way."

"That's a little childish," Sheldon responded. He shook his head and said, "I should have known better than to fall for your implication; it's obvious that I am irreplaceable."

Kate stared at him.

"Did you get the point at all to the argument?" Kate stated.

"Of course I did; did you?" Sheldon returned.

"If the point was that you feel for me and you're denying it because of the probability of losing me to relocation, then yes," said Kate gently.

"Good," said Sheldon.

"Good what?"

"It's good that you got the point."

"Were you making one?"

"Kate, I always have a point."

"So you're saying that you do have feelings for me?" Kate asked, looking at him with narrowed eyes.

"No."

"But that's the only logical inference," said Kate, confused.

"Needless to say, I didn't say it," said Sheldon.

Kate smiled for he might as well have.

"Thank you," said Kate.

"For what have I done to earn a thank you?" asked Sheldon, clearly confused as well.

"It's clear you would miss me if I went away," said Kate. "And, despite both our denial in the past hour, we can clearly admit that, in the event one of us did leave, our universes would spiral out of control."

"I wouldn't say it like that," Sheldon returned.

"How would you say it?" Kate responded.

Sheldon shrugged, stating awkwardly, "I might lose my REM sleep, provided the absence of a certain person who has the brawniness of a Nebraskan waitress to defend."

Kate grinned.

"That's sweet of you," Kate said.

"I'm glad you think so," Sheldon replied. He glanced down at the basket. "You folded my clothes?"

"Of course, I did," Kate said. "I think I surprised Penny when I did so."

Sheldon picked up the basket and inspected them, as though he was the health investigator of a restaurant and had to speculate all areas of the restaurant before agreeing that Kate folded them…correctly, anyway.

Kate smiled when he made a face that was impressed.

"Well, I must say; I think I've taught you well." Sheldon stated.

"Learning from the master has its perks," Kate replied. She entered the bedroom (although, the interesting part was that Sheldon didn't seem to mind), pointing out her flaw in the socks as she didn't completely understand folding them.

Sheldon showed her three times and Kate replicated, and seeing her success, Sheldon beamed.

"Oh, how I appraise your quick learning," Sheldon mused. "It's unlike teaching Penny physics or modifying her behavior to speak in a lower register rather than the annoying high-pitched shriek that emits when she finds something highly amusing or adorable like a discount on shoes."

Kate looked at him.

"Shoes?"

"Yes; apparently, a brand of shoe is regarded as adorable," said Sheldon. He shook his head. "The specifics are debatable."

Kate grinned broadly.

"Negotiable," Kate remarked. "Shoes are deemed adorable if a pair is small and medial, like those worn by infants or toddlers. I hardly understand how a high heel or a fur boot could be adorable, that is, unless there's a small infant Batman on the cuff."

Sheldon smiled.

"I suppose it could be negotiable," Sheldon agreed. "Although, I have to clarify how a skirt could be fun or a shirt become titled as 'attractive'. Its adjective has no predication on the noun, or logical explanation as to how the item could be labeled as such."

"I can clarify," said Kate gently.

"Really?"

Kate smiled and held up his folded black and purple striped socks. To them she gestured and said, "logically fashionable, but, perhaps in a fashionable sense, deemed adorable." She touched Sheldon's chest and said smoothly, "Illogically deemed attractive, but also acquiring logical appeal."

Sheldon glanced down at her hand; the two stared at each other. Kate felt her finger tips numb, as they had done before on numerous occasions when any part of her touched him. Sheldon licked his lips nervously; was he feeling the same numbing in his fingertips or perhaps, the same feeling in a lower sensitivity?

Kate withdrew her hand and crossed her arms, and she laughed nervously.

"Sorry," she said quickly.

"Sorry for what?"

"Touching you; sometimes I forget about the contract," Kate remarked.

Sheldon looked at her curiously, to Kate's befuddlement. He looked at her for a moment, with a thought going through his mind, then as though he decided something, he went to the door, and closed it.

"What are you doing?" asked Kate.

Sheldon said nothing as he stood in front of her and then took her face in his hands and moved her to him; their lips grazed bravely, and instinctively, Kate opened her mouth just the slightest apart, bade him any invitation given. Sheldon hesitated but the kiss that came shortly sent electrified shocks through Kate, her face tingled; his tongue touched her lips then entered, hesitantly touching hers.

Sheldon made a small squeak when Kate returned the kiss, her tongue caressing his. Kate wrapped her arms around his neck when he made little effort to break it. Although regularly lean, Kate felt him through his two shirts and the muscle in his back and shoulders made her thoughts rush from morally clean to dirty.

Her thoughts became immoral when she felt Sheldon's hands leave her face and neck and move to her lower back, the shirt raising slightly so her flesh was met with his long fingers. His touch made her shudder pleasurably and she smiled in mid-kiss.

"When after we're through," Kate muttered, "I won't be offended if you brush your teeth or take a bleaching shower."

Sheldon didn't stop kissing her, but he said, "Why would you be offended?"

Kate chuckled but gave no answer. She remembered his preference of control in any given situation and was more than happy to remember. Kate was happy, too, but more or less stunned, when she felt his hands move lower from her back around her bottom. The feeling made her moan quietly. His caress seems to become firmer as he moved her closer to him; Kate moaned when she felt him against her.

"So you feel it too?" Sheldon murmured.

"Immensely," Kate responded quietly.

"Kate…"

"Shh," Kate whispered. She kissed Sheldon gently, a lover's kiss. This seemed to console him.

Kate moved her hands to his chest, and even there, she felt the slightest muscular alignment. The images flashing in her brain were causing her arousal to further make itself aware.

"It's illogical," Sheldon stated.

"What is?"

"The cause and cure of this informality," Sheldon stated. "What causes my discomfort can be a requiem for its disappearance. That is to say that the mathematical's equation is also its solution, therefore undefinable, and forever infinite in its circling confliction."

Kate smiled.

"I suppose it is illogical," said Kate gently. She felt bold today. "But isn't the answer to an equation often times 'undefined' the proper answer to an undefinable equation as associated in algebraic solutions?"

Sheldon shook his head, saying, "The variables here are irrelevant."

"Which makes its illogical inference irrelevant," Kate remarked.

Sheldon looked at her.

"It's also inappropriate associating mathematical personification to this situation," Sheldon pointed out. He glanced at their compromising situation and said to her with a tone of interest, "Fascinating."

"Hmm," Kate returned. She kissed his upper lip with the smallest flick of her tongue and said seductively, "Isn't it?"

Sheldon ignored her rhetorical response as he knew it to be. He returned her kiss. He looked at her, realizing he had a completely illogical and yet reasonable mathematical inquiry with a woman. Admittedly, Sheldon confessed her mind was, as Amy had time and time again stated, as she described 'sexy'.

Kate felt a little passion in the way he kissed her next; their tongues once more met, entangled in a battle of strategy; he turned them and she felt her knees collide against the edge of bed, knocking her off balance and landing on her back on the blue comforter. Sheldon seemed to flow with the incident, for he only use her gravitational persuasion as a way of lifting the back of her knees on either side of him; Kate was stunned by his clever ruse and she felt his own arousal dig against her inner thigh.

"Sheldon," Kate muttered; her breathing was quick, as though she would fall under the situation of hyperventilation.

"Hmm," Sheldon uttered, still entrapped in her mouth as the kissing become more urgent.

"Is this the only interaction you've had?" Kate asked quietly.

"Be more specific," Sheldon stated.

"Am I your first?"

"My first what?"

Kate looked at him, and he glanced at her. It was obvious to Kate what he was doing. He had the knowing expression on his face that he knew what she was talking about. But it was obvious to her, too, that he wanted her to say it.

"Your first sexual relationship," Kate said softly.

Sheldon smirked—the expression was unfamiliar to her, but it was also mischievous, and very flattering.

"I wouldn't put it that way," Sheldon said quietly.

"In what other way would you put it?" asked Kate.

Sheldon simply uttered, "a physical relationship."

Kate nodded. The word 'sexual' probably irked him and only placed it in a 'friends with benefits' era, rather than…well, whatever they had. His simple reverence made Kate feel even more attracted to him—as though that was impossible until now. Kate kissed Sheldon, her retention was gone and her desire was greater than her control. Lucky her, she wasn't the one that needed it.

The two kissed deeply, the passion clear in their paced breathing. Her breathing became heavier when she felt Sheldon's hands move from her knees and up the back of her thighs; she wished she wore something else other than black capres today.

"Sheldon…"

"Curiosity has a way of metaphorically slaughtering cats and kittens," Sheldon said in a tone uncharacteristically himself; there was the Texan drawl there in his voice.

Kate caught her breath when he lowered his head and kissed the jugular on her neck, then her throat.

"But," he muttered, "sometimes kittens are curious in themselves, as big dogs are curious as to where little children hide their snacks in their backpacks. Sometimes…" He kissed her lips and Kate met him, her attention lying in his hands moving steadily up her sides to caress her hips, his voice and the narration of his point. "Sometimes, the cats are curious and they find themselves lost in their predicament, a trap, if you will."

Kate inhaled sharply when she felt his hands move her to her front and underneath her shirt, touching her belly.

"Other kittens take a bold but risky move," Sheldon whispered into ear, grazing his lips on the lobe, "and chance losing their much-anticipated reward for their adventurous and yet foolish misery."

Kate was rendered speechless as her mind was lost to his analogy. She felt his hands stop on her rib cage, his thumbs lining down her ribs, then up again just underneath her bra. Kate moaned at his pressure.

"The luckier kittens are stuck in the happy accident of suggestions, only to find themselves balancing on a predicated stance," Sheldon muttered. He lowered his body onto her, and she felt the slightest grinding of his arousal against her center so she whimpered, but the pleasurable moan could be heard. She felt the need, but his need could be felt as he pushed himself against her, as though it would relieve the frustrating arousal that was settling him, as Kate knew it was settling in her.

"Kittens, like the latter, Kate," Sheldon murmured, "are probably the majority of the casualties for they succumb to their baser urges, lacking in responsibility, awareness, or control." He kissed her neck and said in a soft growl, "Kittens, like you."

Sheldon kissed her again and Kate looked at him.

"Sheldon…" Kate moaned; she felt him against her, he'd become harder. Apparently Dr. Cooper enjoyed the foreplay, definitely.

"Yes, Kitten?" Sheldon remarked, unlike himself.

"Control the situation," Kate murmured.

"You _want_ me in control?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, take control," Kate whispered. She pushed her hips against his and this emitted an involuntary pleasurable moan from him, which made Kate's appetite wetter. Needing more of him, she said with the plea that beckoned his ego, "Control _me_."

Despite the order, Sheldon was lacking in his own domination for the ounce of control he did maintain was almost driven out by her tones of desperation and exhilaration. Sheldon wondered briefly if this is what Penny had over Leonard, but _he_ wasn't the one fawning; Kate was Leonard; he was Penny…the thought disturbed him. That was until Kate pushed her hips against him once more and he definitely had no illusion that the blonde woman underneath him was Kate.

"Kate," Sheldon said, feeling masked by the frustration of the constant throbbing in his pants, "this is getting annoying."

"Agreed," Kate muttered. She pushed him off and the situation became reversed as Kate pinned him down, straddling his waist and Sheldon looked up at her, a little intrigued but startled.

"What are you doing?" Sheldon inquired.

"Experimenting," Kate remarked. "You'll appreciate the outcome."

Sheldon watched her mount above him and Kate grinded her hips against his, the friction causing both of them to moan.

"Oh, dear lord, does this have no end," Sheldon breathed.

Kate smirked at him and quickened her pace, grinding her hips harder against him. He initially asked her, or rather, begged her to stop for it seemed to make it worse; Kate lowered her body to his and in his ear, she muttered, "Trust me, Sheldon; it must get worse before it gets better."

Sheldon looked at her and said, "Quoting from my mother doesn't necessarily help the situation."

Kate smiled and said, "Sorry." She pushed onto him harder and Sheldon thought of his mother went out of his mind completely. However, he did seem to stop fretting about how their arousal became harder to ignore, and to deplete. Kate touched her hands to his chest, using him as her push-off surface; to help, Sheldon held her hips so when she began to push onto him again, he allied in aiding the force.

Kate felt him push against her and the feeling of him made her moan. She was definitely regretting wearing capres rather than a thin material.

She heard him moan, this time it was more out of pleasure than frustration. She glanced below her and saw his head lean back against the covers, his eyes closed in a combination of pleasure and need, and his lips parted slightly out of pure elation. Kate quickened her pace, her frustration unending.

"Kate," Sheldon groaned. "I know I said I'd put some faith in you but it's only getting worse, not even the remote better…"

"Shh," said Kate. She grinded against him harder and smirked when she lowered right hand from his chest to his arousal, touching him.

"Kate…" Sheldon protested. She ignored him as she rubbed her hand on him, moving her hips in a constant push along his shaft; Underneath her, Sheldon squirmed in discomfort and objection but Kate was insistent.

A minute later, Kate could feel the frustration lacking and the peaking orgasm reached throughout her body when she felt it wash over her, a tidal wave of pleasure causing her spine to tingle, her body to shudder. Sheldon was just short after her, as his back slightly arched and his hands took a firm grip on her hips.

Kate moaned loudly, the peak reaching and then slowly leaving. She controlled her breathing but Sheldon seemed to be lacking the same, as he almost began hyperventilating. Kate watched him, fascinated. He was pink in the cheeks, and looked up at Kate.

"It's interesting," Sheldon breathed.

"What is?"

"I feel unashamed and my mind is suddenly very clear," he said. Kate got off him and sat on the edge of the bed, tying her hair in a ponytail. Sheldon sat up.

"Yet, simultaneously, I might have an asthma attack," he said.

Kate looked at him.

"Are you an asthmatic?"

"No."

"Then you're fine," Kate returned.

Sheldon looked at her.

"To think that poor simpletons never ridden their urges; some of the unlucky ones constantly have it," said Sheldon. "A question of deepest curiosity, Kate, did you, like Penny, learn from previous sexual experiences?"

Kate found the question derogatory; did he just call her or Penny a slut?

"I work on what you give me, Sheldon," Kate remarked. "And to answer your question properly, Sheldon, people learn from the past; it's natural. Just as what you've learned about me will give you an inference as to what you will do if the situation occurs again."

Sheldon looked at her, his curiosity still there.

"Hmm," he muttered. He made a face resembling briefed impressive status and said, "Fascinating."

Kate grinned and said, "It is." She smiled. "You were wonderful."

"I hardly believe the wonder to exist," Sheldon said.

"I do," Kate returned. "Brilliant and effective."

"Are you referring to the experience or my sexual prowess?" Sheldon responded.

"Both." Kate stated. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "You're just wonderful at everything you do."

Sheldon looked at her curiously and said, "I know that; you don't have to tell me."

Kate shook her head, but she was smiling. Sheldon definitely had an ego boost from it. Sheldon thanked her still for getting his laundry and Kate said no problem. She assisted in putting away his clothes and when the two came out of the bedroom, they were met with Howard, Raj, Amy, Bernadette, Stuart, Leonard, and Penny, all of whom were grinning smugly.

"So," said Penny. "I guess we don't have to make sure you two didn't kill each other."

Sheldon and Kate glanced at each other and then went back into Sheldon's bedroom, hiding from them.


	42. The Kiss-And-Tell Relevance

Chapter Forty-Two: The Kiss-And-Tell Relevance

Author's Note: I'm so sorry, guys, that I've not updated. Work has definitely been exhausting me down to the point whenever I get to the point of doing this story, I just fall asleep on the keyboard; didn't want that to happen especially after the previous chapter, so because I feel incredibly guilty, I'll make it up to you all by giving you a long chapter

Although the two roommates were embarrassed—extremely mortified, more like—it wasn't long before the two had to get out of Kate's bedroom (in which they'd barricaded themselves in to hide from the others) in order to relieve themselves, especially since Sheldon was shifting from one leg to the other in anticipation of needing to urinate.

When Kate returned to the living room, Penny and Amy were smirking at her, while Bernadette looked a little embarrassed to have heard them but her smile was just as mischievous in comparison. What made Kate blush to an extent was Amy's presence.

"How long were you…?" Kate began.

"Oh from the time you all started talking, I think," said Howard. He winked, saying, "Although, I could hardly call what you all were doing 'talking'."

Kate shied from his eye contact and crossed her arms, but her shyness immediately dissolved. She only held up her head, unashamed, and walked into the refrigerator.

"Hey," called Howard from the living room, "while you're over there, can you get me…"

"No," Kate responded immediately.

Howard looked taken aback, and innocently asked why.

Amy looked at him, as though the answer was obvious. But seeing that Howard was only an engineer, she regarded the ignorance and went on to explaining that while he found it playful to tease about the eavesdropped sexual encounter, Kate hardly thought it hilarious. In fact, when Kate returned to the living room, she was glaring him down, like a tiger assaulting the hunter with a rifle just before it attacked.

"Don't be so embarrassed," Leonard said, smiling at her. "It's nice for once that Sheldon actually got to enjoy the pleasures of human life."

"From what I understand," Kate remarked coolly, joining them, "you were eavesdropping. Under different circumstances, they might be perceived as nosing in one's business." She frowned and said, "What if I eavesdropped on you and Penny?"

"I wouldn't mind," Leonard remarked, unaffected.

"Speak for yourself," Penny stated, shaking her head. She gave Kate an apologetic look and said, "Look, we're sorry. But, it's not like we _couldn't_ not listen to you. It's like trying not to watch a zebra juggle balls and ride a unicycle." She demonstrated by moving her legs as though she were riding a bike.

At her expense, Amy laughed at her bestie's miming and she received a grateful look from Penny.

To them, Kate held no response. She merely turned to Howard, who sat on the middle cushion.

"You're in my spot," Kate told him curtly.

"What?" Howard remarked.

"Seriously, have you gone deaf?" Kate remarked. It was clear her short temper with him was mainly because of his coarse remark about the situation earlier and although Howard seemed unaffected by the attitude, he was dimly affected by the Sheldon-like statement.

"You don't have a spot," Howard said. "Only Sheldon has a spot."

At this conjecture, the spoken roommate entered the room, arms crossed. He was leaning against the wall of the hallway, mid-living room and hall. He looked mortified, particularly for the same reason Kate was, for the two of them had been caught in inappropriate human interactions.

"Besides," added Howard, "if anyone gets this spot, it's me or Penny," said Howard. "We sit here more."

Kate's stubbornness had become increased as she stared at him, standing in front of Sheldon's seat with her arms crossed, her eyes darting from him to a different part of the living room, inclining that he better sit in a different spot or else.

"It's 'Penny or me', not 'Me or Penny'," Kate retorted curtly. "Now get up or I will personally move you."

"I'd like to see you try," Howard threatened.

Sheldon intervened, standing next to Kate.

"Now, now," Sheldon stated, "I don't think we ought to welcome violence in this apartment. Howard, you best place your gluteus maximus in a different location, otherwise, she may do well upon her threat."

Howard looked at Sheldon.

"Oh really? What is she going to do?" Howard said, although he was unconvincingly brave. He seemed nervous; after all, Kate had punched him before and that left a bruise for days!

Kate's eyebrows raised suddenly as though she was ready to accept the challenge. She turned to Sheldon, who licked his lips nervously.

"Howard, if you refuse to move, I'll have to count this as an additional strike on your record, and you surely understand what that means," Sheldon warned. He gave Howard a stern expression and not before realizing that he'd have to take his class again, Howard sighed reluctantly in defeat and stood. Kate watched him.

Bernadette patted the little space between her and the armchair's side and said with an innocent voice, "Don't worry, Howie; you can always sit by me. You're so small that we can both fit in this chair." She grinned sweetly and Howard, still a little reluctant by Kate and Sheldon's intervention and the additional acknowledgement of his short and wiry stature, sunk into the space beside his wife.

Sheldon looked at Kate, who sat on the couch on the middle cushion; Sheldon took his place as well. They sat in unison, receiving odd looks from Leonard, Penny, and Stuart.

"What are you all doing?" asked Leonard.

"Despite the obvious evidence that preludes one into the presumption, I speculate we're sitting in the living room," Sheldon remarked.

"No," Leonard began, but Sheldon thought he was finished so he retorted.

"Once again, I point out the evidence that—"

"Not that!" Penny interjected, sitting upright as though she received an electric shock. She looked excitedly at the two of them. "Why are you all acting as if nothing happened?"

"Penny," Sheldon stated coolly (although there was the familiar tic that associated itself in his left eye—for he was under some deal of stress about the matter), "there is a social protocol one adheres to when one is faced with a situation on which was eavesdropped by people, like you and, well, everyone else in this room, had no business in knowing or hearing. It's similar to the situations I encounter with you and Leonard, despite the roles having changed, it's very much the same."

Sheldon frowned and said coldly, "While you wish to have Kate and I spin a tall tale about what conspired in the room, I hardly wish to divulge and, most assuredly, neither does she." He sat back in his seat and drank a bottle of water.

"So if you're not going to tell, we can ask," Howard said, leaning forward with interest.

Kate glared angrily at him.

"Well, shit"—(Sheldon startled at her use of language)—"If we're going to do that, let's make a quid pro quo in which one states a truth based solely on its confidentiality, matching its strict privacy to an equally embarrassing truth."

Howard was practically bursting in his seat as he unwittingly remarked: "That's just great, I'll go first!"

Bernadette gave him the glare this time.

"What?" Howard asked innocently.

"I'm going to weigh in here," Amy stated pointedly. She and Penny sat in an armchair together, both small women able to occupy its large surface area. She turned to Kate, looking at her understanding.

"If I'm not mistaken, Kate was eluding to the idea of a 'Truth or Dare' suggestion in which a person would speak 'truth' and this would include being asked something embarrassing or personal," said Amy. She looked at Penny. "Is that correct, Bestie?"

"You got it," Penny said, giving her a wink.

"So," continued Amy, returning her attention to Kate, "by sarcastically implying the game of outmatching personal details, you disapprove of Howard's earlier comments."

Kate smiled and said, "Amy, you're right on all counts, except one."

Sheldon and Amy looked at her with the same confused expressions. To this, Kate explained, saying with a cool tone, "You're right, but I disapprove of Howard all the time."

"True dat," Leonard voiced.

The gang glanced at him curiously and he smiled proudly; he was learning to street talk all right, it was kind of funny.

"Well," said Howard, "I got the idea and I got the meaning but let me ask you just one itty, bitty, little, tiny…"

"No," Sheldon and Kate fired simultaneously.

However, Howard went on and said quickly, "So, Sheldon, you call Kate 'kitten' now, huh?"

Sheldon and Kate glanced at each other quickly. How close exactly were all of them to the door while their interaction employed? Kate bit her lip, her face became a red cherry. Sheldon's face also blushed a pinkish hue.

"Wow," Penny muttered.

"What?" Leonard asked.

"Kate's a cherry and Sheldon looks like a pink carnation," Penny stated. She chuckled.

"Irrelevant," Sheldon stated.

"It's completely relevant," Howard insisted. "It's about sex. You and Kate had sex. Ergo, the relevance."

"We did not have coitus," Sheldon argued immediately.

"What was that then we heard?" Howard revoked, standing up and looking at the two with willing eyes.

"This is ridiculous," Sheldon stated icily. "I find no practicality nor benevolence in discussing topics like these, especially when they're about…" He didn't look at her, but it was already obvious that he inferred Kate's involvement. He offered no more words on the matter as he turned on the television and interrupted the questions as the new episode of Star Trek came on.

When the episodes had ended, Sheldon and Leonard went to bed. Kate remained in her spot and Penny sat on the far right cushion; the two of them were watching a lifetime movie, although the title had never been fully understood.

"Kate, I do have one question about what happened," Penny stated gently.

She turned to the waitress slowly.

"This had better be your first and last question but I refuse to answer any more after this," Kate said softly.

"Was he any good?" Penny stated quickly.

Kate stared and with a smile tugging on her lips, she said, "Boy, you must have been holding that one in for a long time."

"You have no idea; so how was he?" Penny inquired.

"Effective," Kate replied.

Penny smirked and said, "That's incredible."

"Why?"

"Because Sheldon is Sheldon; he's Dr. Wacka-doodle. He's don't-touch-me-you-have-cooties." Penny said. "To think you all had sex…"

"We didn't have sex."

"But…"

"What you all heard wasn't sex," said Kate. "In order to have sex, two or more parties involves must be at least partial in nudity and involved in…"

"Yeah, yeah, yeah, I got that," Penny said. "So you all weren't…?"

"We were fully clothed," Kate remarked. Then, maybe out of the pure spite that she wanted to be Penny's best friend like Bernadette and Amy were to her, she sighed and looked at Penny with the utmost meaningful expression.

"I want to tell you something, but it's a secret," Kate stated quietly.

"Okay."

"While we were…you know…I wanted nothing more than to have no clothes on," Kate whispered.

"That's a little odd coming from you. I get a weird mental image," Penny said. She shuddered and said quickly, "It's not because of you and Sheldon but never, in spite of my liking you and crap, do I ever want to see Sheldon naked. That's like…yeah, it's not good."

"I understand. Just like I rather not see Leonard naked," Kate returned.

"Exactly." Penny said, nodding her head. She hesitated and said quietly, "I have one more question."

"Fine, then. What is it?" Kate asked.

"Did he really call you 'Kitten?'" asked Penny curiously. As an afterthought she said, "I never heard it but Howard peaked my interest."

"He referred to kittens," Kate said. "By the analogy, I was the kitten."

"Ah. Well, analogies in bed—that's always…er…sexy, I suppose." Penny stated awkwardly, smiling encouragingly.

"Indeed," Kate said, smiling.

Penny yawned and said after a moment: "Well, thanks for the eventful day. I'm going to bed now."

"It's only ten o'clock, Penn," Kate said, glancing at her watch.

"Yeah, well, talking about Leonard's naked body makes me hot," Penny said. She got to her feet and bounced to the door, her pony tails flopped around her shoulders as she did. Kate watched after her, chuckling at her comment.

Kate sighed; well, at least the awkwardness for her had ended and she could get over it. She sank in her spot and sighed happily. Not only did she feel closer to Sheldon thanks to the situation that dawned its heard earlier but she also felt a bond with Penny beginning to form. Gradually, she'd get there but it'd take time, and probably more kiss-and-tell crap. Kate smiled in spite of herself: Despite her spew of details to Penny, Kate was proud that Sheldon was not like her. He refused to discuss any aspect of the interaction and she was a smiling kitten for that reason.


	43. The Metaphorical Cat

Chapter Forty-Three: The Metaphorical Cat

Sheldon was on Facebook. The morning had progressed as usual, except his routine had become…varied. Of course, he expected Kate to be called in at irregular times—he couldn't imagine having such a disturbed schedule. It was nine o'clock, a Saturday morning. Sheldon had his day planned out from the start of his day, at 6:15 exactly. Being that Kate was gone, he felt off in his standards. Because the day had somewhat descended into anarchy, he went on Facebook, hoping to find some familiarity.

Of course, he could see his friends' statuses. Leonard and Penny had updated their statuses with the winking face, which Sheldon interpreted as the disembodiment of coitus in the early morning; he shuddered at the thought.

He saw that Raj had updated his status; it read "**Rajesh Koothrappalli** is _in a relationship _with **Chance Briar. **To the gossip Kate had whispered to him before, the two had been emailing and texting on and off, constantly. Raj was normally on his phone, texting away, and he barely spoke to anyone in the room, for his time was consumed with this woman named Chance, the veterinarian that Kate had introduced him. Sheldon, out of curiosity, had looked at Chance's profile; she was dully credited, a doctor in animal sciences.

Sheldon then saw a notification ring up in his bar and he was irked, seeing the '1' shining red on the blue bar. He clicked on it, and the tab rang up as Kate had updated her status. He clicked on the notification and it brought up her wall posts.

The most recent had come up two minutes ago: "Physically exhausted! Will this day never end?"

Sheldon frowned. Kate's statuses were easy to read, as they possessed no sarcasm, well at least half the time. Kate was at work, and her mood was oftentimes reflected on her facebook statuses. The first note on her post irked him as well; he knew if Kate was exhausted then she'd not participate in the paintball warfare that he and his friends were anticipating this weekend, more importantly, this afternoon.

Leslie Winkle had teamed with Kripke and a few others that posed a threat to Sheldon and his team. Bernadette, Amy, Stuart, and Penny had set this one out (according to Penny, who emphatically stated that the last paintball game they attended, they had to bathe five times to get the paint out of their hair). Sheldon hardly saw the reason to disband but Penny was vocal in her opinion, and was stubborn as he. Sheldon consented, knowing that Kate was a battle warrior all on her own; he remembered how she slaughtered Leslie Winkle that first time they played, which had been a month ago.

He remembered a lot of what Kate did, and he knew her well enough, enough that if Kate was physically exhausted, she wouldn't be her best this afternoon. Sheldon would have to succumb to surrender! At this idea, his lips curled in distaste; Dr. Sheldon Cooper never admitted defeat.

Seeing her status, Sheldon commented, merely out of his hope that her response would be dismissive: "Are you physically malnourished or suffering an illness or ailment prior to the exhaustion? If that is the cause, I have several remedial cures for that."

Kate's response was delayed for a minute or two. To Sheldon's disappointment, it was brief.

"I'm suffering both."

"Both?" inquired Sheldon. He cringed anxiously. She was suffering an injury _and _she was sick? How did a surgeon acquire both?

Then his phone rang; Sheldon departed from his keyboard and answered his cell phone, regarding the number as Kate's before answering it.

"Hello?"

"Sheldon, I am suffering both," said Kate.

"So I read," Sheldon responded. "Now," he began, "when you say both…"

"I have a sprained ankle and I've caught a cold."

Sheldon frowned, remarking coolly, "You know, Kate, it's doctors like you that allow me the enjoyment of avoiding hospitals. While you pertain to wear gloves and masks, you still contain an infestation of contaminating germs which can dispel at any given point of time, whether that's through a sneeze or a yawn. If you were sick, why did you not stay home?"

"I have a job, Sheldon," said Kate. Her voice had definitely changed as Sheldon realized. It was a bit nasally, but otherwise, she sounded remotely normal. Then again, colds led to influenza, and that was awfully risky.

"As do I, but one cares for themselves before treating others to the horrible epidemic," Sheldon stated reproachfully. He sat at his computer, glancing at the door when it opened and he saw Leonard, who (after seeing him on the phone) came in quieter and sat on the armchair, waiting for Sheldon to finish.

All the while, he seemed concerned. Sheldon took no notice as he spoke to Kate on the phone.

"I had a surgery today," Kate muttered. "Only I could take care of it."

"Kate, I know you value your job and, from my understanding, you, of course, are the only one that I would ever trust the anatomical placement of my organs should I ever become in need of a surgical replacement, say of the brain when robotic manipulation becomes existent, but you honestly are taking an awful risk just to help a man whose declared food over health and has become morbidly obese. It's the negligence of his illness that will lead to his untimely demise, not your inability to complete a task once begotten of a simple cold."

Sheldon heard her chuckle. In what ways was this conversation remotely humorous, honestly?

"Kate," said Sheldon firmly. "I understand that your sickness has contaminated your immune system, therefore is slowly decreasing your blood count and leukemic cells but please bear to pay heed to my words, as they are crucial to the very life you live. If you've come down with something—which is obvious you have as you've laughed at something entirely serious—it's advisable from a physician that you take sick leave in order to gain immunity from a restful sleep."

Sheldon shrugged and said, "I am no physician but I am a doctor, so I'm able to tell you to go to bed."

"You're not a medical doctor," Leonard hissed from the armchair.

Sheldon glanced him but ignored his comment. He heard Kate sigh on the other end.

"I suppose you're right."

"Although I am concerned for the health of your immunity system, the other half of your status update prior to Facebook is also extending my curiosity, so I beg to wonder aloud how you managed to sprain your ankle while standing completely still as you were performing a surgery on a man's kidney and liver tract." Sheldon stated. "Also, on a side note, I'm putting you on speaker so as I can check my email while I'm talking to you. Is that alright?"

"Of course," said Kate.

Sheldon pressed a button on his phone and her voice came out clear, yet still nasally. He heard her sniffle on the other side.

"Oh, and so as not to be deceived into divulging any secrecy, Leonard is in the living room with me," said Sheldon as an afterthought.

"All right," said Kate. She sounded just awful.

"Hey, Kate," Leonard called from the living room.

"Hey."

Sheldon turned the matters to more important things.

"Although I do understand the ailments and symptoms and lack of desire for physical activity while under the influence of being sick, or even having a sprained ankle, I'm going to inquire your decision in playing against Leslie Winkle and her band of bereft bandits." Sheldon stated apathetically.

"Sheldon," said Leonard. Sheldon glanced at him.

"What?"

"You're actually trying to get Kate to play paintball with us? If she's sick and has a sprained ankle, she might as well be useless to us," Leonard retorted. He shook his head. "And she does need sleep."

"On a contrary, Leonard," said Kate's voice from the Iphone 4.

Sheldon looked at his phone and said, "Considering your tone of indifference and abrupt disagreement, am I to assume that despite your sickness and injury, you are intending on attending?"

Sheldon winced slightly and said to Leonard in a low voice, "I practically rhymed on the end of that sentence, didn't I?" He shuddered and said, "Ugh."

"I don't know, Sheldon," Kate returned.

"That's a bit of an ambiguous answer," said Sheldon.

"It's my answer for now."

"But that leaves the answer as undefined. That's not a correct answer."

"And yet, it's the answer in most scientific questions," said Kate.

"I disagree."

"Sheldon, I'm not in the mood to debate with you."

"Then I highly advise you to stop, as I'm confident in the odds that you will lose the debate, so therefore, it's obviously futile," said Sheldon. He smiled and said, "You can't win."

"Sheldon, the way I'm feeling, I don't even want to sleep in my bed. I want to sleep on the carpet in my office; it's looking pretty comfortable right now," voiced Kate; she sounded exhausted all right, as though talking was tiring enough.

Sheldon shook his head.

"That's disappointing," he replied.

"Don't sound so crestfallen, Sheldon. It won't be the last game that Leslie will challenge you. Besides, aren't Penny, Bernadette, Amy, and Stuart going to be there?"

"No," snarled Sheldon, "That's the reason why my team is counting on you, Kate. I'm the captain of—"

Leonard interrupted, saying, "We didn't vote you as captain."

"—this team and you're my metaphorical lieutenant. Take out the Lieutenant and all I'm left with is an infantry that was taught to shoot before strategizing," Sheldon finished as though Leonard hadn't spoken at all.

"Well, I'm not going to be much use if I'm feeling the way I feel right now," Kate returned.

"I disagree," said Sheldon. "If you don't wear a helmet, you have the power to perform a sneak attack, sneeze, and instigate biological warfare. With your disease and my strategy, there's no way we will lose."

Kate sighed sharply.

"I'm not going to be the biological warfare, Sheldon. I'm tired. I'm sick. I'm nauseated. I'm in pain. I have an ankle the size of Fred Flinstone's foot and all I want to do is crawl on my Febreeze-smelling carpet and sleep.

Sheldon frowned.

"You know, it's not always about you," Sheldon said.

Leonard shook his head and said, "Sheldon!"

"What?" Sheldon retorted. "She's the one that's refusing to attend, despite her promise to do otherwise."

"I wasn't sick a week ago," Kate's voice snapped tiredly.

"Irrelevant," Sheldon rejected.

"I disagree," Kate protested.

"Are we really going to debate this over the phone?" asked Sheldon indifferently. "That sounds a little childish, don't you think?"

"Childish?" Kate resounded angrily. "You know what, I'm going to be home late. I have to work. Good luck to your damn paintball match; hope you win. Good bye, Sheldon." She hung up.

Sheldon looked from his phone to Leonard and said incredulously, "Where did that come from?"

"You pissed Kate off," Leonard explained.

"I perceived that, Leonard, and the correct sintax is 'You pissed off, Kate'." Sheldon responded. "I perceived I might have upset her but I don't know why, or how."

"She's sick and has a sprained ankle and you still think she wants to play shoot paint at people when she really wants to sleep," said Leonard. He smirked and said, "Maybe you should give her a ball of yarn."

Sheldon glanced at him.

"I beg your pardon?"

Leonard giggled, saying, "Penny told me that you referenced kittens to Kate during your little rag-tag session."

"Rag-tag?" Sheldon repeated confusedly.

"When you had sex, you referenced kittens, so, ergo, you called her 'Kitten'," said Leonard.

"We didn't have coitus."

"Well, whatever you had sure sounded like that," Leonard said. "Maybe you should call Kate back and say, "I'm sorry, Kitten, let's have dinner over a can of tuna and some warm milk.'"

Sheldon's face grew a bright pink and he frowned.

"First off, I reject the notion that Kate and I engaged in intercourse and second, how did you come across that conversation?" Sheldon inquired, his face betraying the truth.

"So you did call her 'kitten'," Leonard said, pointing.

"No," said Sheldon.

"You inferred it, then."

"One has to imply before one can infer, therefore Kate inferred," said Sheldon. He suddenly realized what he'd done and he sighed disgustedly, putting his face in his hands as Leonard exclaimed 'I KNEW YOU DID IT!'

"And to answer your question," said Leonard, "since I know it will drive you crazier, Kate told Penny that you talked about kittens, and implied she was one. Penny and I discussed how we never thought you'd be capable of coming up with such dirty sex talk. You, dog."

Sheldon looked at Leonard irritably.

"I'm not talking about any of this with you, Hodfstader." He stood.

"You have no choice," said Leonard. He smirked at him.

Sheldon turned around to look at him, crossing his arms.

"Before I disintegrate this entire conversation and falsely allocate that this conversation had never happened, I will inform you that I, Sheldon Cooper, have never engaged in the role-playing disembodiment of conversation that you, Howard, and Penny prefer to participate. Should have that situation had ever presented itself, I suggested the comparison of an analogical cat to the curiosity that is of Kate's. By no means,"—Sheldon pointed to Leonard—"should that give _your_ mind any trips to metaphorical gutters, no matter how leaky or unclean they may be."

Sheldon shook his head at Leonard as though he was a hopeless cause and walked out of the living room and into the bathroom.

Leonard chuckled. He did so love to tease Sheldon.


	44. The Soup Aversion

Chapter Forty-Four: The Soup Aversion

Kate was undoubtedly physically drained when she entered the apartment after hours. Sheldon glanced her way when she did and he gave her a childish pouty face, which Kate perceived as the 'punishment' for her disappointing decision in staying late (which wasn't much of a decision) and not joining the paintball team. However, Kate wasn't caring at the moment; she had lasted through two gruesome surgeries, after which, her patients didn't listen to her instructions of not consuming a thousand hamburgers in a week and to watch their diabetes better. Her words didn't matter to them, for they were able to live another month in eating fast food.

She had been running from the time she entered the shift to the end of shift, so she could run out of the place and not be pulled back in for another eight hours. Her mind could only associate with the simplest of things, for instance: "Fire, bad; tree, pretty."

All she wanted was a hot bath and maybe ice cream to eat. Kate sat in her spot on the couch, sighing tiredly. Sheldon turned in his rolling chair.

"I do hope you're proud of yourself," said Sheldon. "Do you realize what your inconsiderate decision has done?"

"No," said Kate; she closed her eyes. "And honestly, I don't care right now."

"You don't care?" repeated Sheldon. He shook his head. "You should be more attentive to the predicament in which you've placed me. Do you realize that while you chose not to participate in the rematch of Leslie Winkle and her addlepated twits, you cost me my 10th weekend streak?"

Kate opened her eyes, their orbs looking at him. He was standing, arms crossed.

"Sheldon, I'm sorry you lost your streak, but I was caught up at work."

"Work is far from being one of your priorities, Kate. It wasn't me, FYI, that lost my streak; the blame rests solely on you," Sheldon stated, pointing to her.

"Fine, blame me." Kate muttered carelessly. She closed her eyes again.

"Did you not hear anything I've just said? I _am _blaming you," Sheldon stated indifferently.

Seeing that Kate was probably ignoring him, Sheldon took his spot beside her and sighed in dismal reproach.

"Kate—"

"Sheldon!" Kate suddenly snapped. Her eyes opened and glared at him. "I'm sorry you lost the game to Winkle; I should have been there, I know, because I promised and I know how promises are with you. But I'm sick, I'm tired, and I have a sprained ankle. So for the time being, Sheldon, you can blame me all you want but that won't make me do whatever you want me to do right now."

Sheldon looked at her, a bit unnerved as she had snapped at him. She hadn't done that in a long time.

"I just wanted an apology," Sheldon said.

Kate stared at him incredulously. He was blaming her for everything and she was the one that had to apologize? Really?

"Fine," said Kate, exhausted. "I'm sorry, Sheldon."

"You're sorry for what?"

"I'm sorry for missing the game, and now, I'm sorry for having snapped at you."

It didn't take long for Sheldon to smile.

"You're forgiven," Sheldon returned. His voice was quiet from her previous snapping.

"I'm going to make you a hot beverage." He stood. "Also, we should start elevating that ankle; seeing one swelled ankle compared to your smaller one will only drive me nutter butters." He went about doing so and Kate looked after him with a smile.

"Do you want cucumber soup or chicken noodle?" Sheldon asked from the kitchen.

Kate looked at him. It was date night, and although Kate insisted that the two of them make Anything-Can-Happen Thursday a regular Thursday, Sheldon was Sheldon. The scheduled third Thursday of each month had become the Date Night Thursday and he wasn't prepared to have her sickness undo the routine that was his alone. Kate felt less than attractive in her Batman fuzzy pajama bottoms and a long-sleeve turtle neck; she was sitting upright, slightly slumped in her spot on the couch, holding the Batman-Symbol blanket around her body. Despite the thermostat's reading, she was cold.

"It doesn't matter to me," Kate said, sniffing afterwards. Her voice had taken on a nasally tone, but according to Howard, it just made her sound sexy; he even begged her to sing a note from Beyonce's album to prove a point but after Kate stated that despite her sickness, she could still pummel him, he backed off.

Sheldon turned to look at her, as he held a can of chicken noodle soup in his hand. He had already sorted out the broth for the intended cucumber soup, if that was what she preferred.

"Are you expecting to me to choose for you?" asked Sheldon.

"Sheldon," began Kate but was quick to answer.

"All right, if that's the case, then I'm strongly suggesting the Chicken Noodle. As you are suffering from the ailment of what I understand to be the onset of the common cold, coupled with your unknown pathogenic transfers from the hospital, I'd gather that vegetables will not be enough." Sheldon stated. He opened the can with the can opener and inspected its contents.

Kate looked at him curiously. Despite the headache entering the back door to her brain, and the congestion in her sinus cavities and throat, her curiosity was still provoking.

"What are you doing, Sheldon?" asked Kate, knowing his explanation would doubt be a paragraph of detail and analysis, unlike his former roommate's simple answers or her neighbor's obvious retorts such as 'what do you think I'm doing?'

She almost found herself missing Howard's returning answer of sexual interest become somewhat inviting for the group hadn't been together since Kate's angry bout of saying she was sick which meant she was practically bi-polar. Without her immunity, Kate was a horde of tempers and disagreements. The group had not tread close to Kate in about a week, leaving Sheldon to care for her in spite of himself.

For the most part, he had deemed himself a worthy care-taker although his statements had curiously irked Kate; but she assumed that was her note worthy sickness taking over, causing impatience and need for disagreement. To Kate's expectations, Sheldon's explanation towards her inquiry was sufficient in length.

Sheldon looked from the can's contents to her.

"I'm expecting the chicken that's been bottled in the can for salmonella presence or other meat-infesting swarm of insects and pathogenic homing." He looked at her seriously, adding, "If it's possible for your immunity to decrease any more than it's already demonstrated, I dread the worst."

He poured the can in a bowl, and placed it in the microwave. Once more, he glanced over.

"At what temperature would you like your soup to be heated? I, myself, prefer a 120 degree temperature." Sheldon said, placing a hand on his chest in sincerity.

Kate shrugged.

"I don't know," Kate muttered. She sniffed again.

"My, my," said Sheldon, shaking his head and looking disappointed. "It's as though the illness you've acquired has not only lowered your customary answers towards my simple inquiries but it's also ridden you of your most famous preferences." He shook his head sadly, saying, "It's making you a completely different person…figuratively, speaking. However, if you develop another eye or an arm falls off, then one can only perceive that the illness is a hazardous wasteland's making, rather than the common cold I could only speculate it to be."

Kate closed her eyes; the headache seemed to be getting worse. However, her lack of response by no means affected him. Sheldon continued to place the microwave at a high heating and when the two minutes and sixteen seconds had passed, only beeping the first three times rather than the five, Sheldon withdrew the bowl.

Kate thought it was the end but he inquired her preferences again.

"Would you like your soup in a bowl or a saucer?"

"Why would I want my soup in a saucer?"

"In any case the chicken and noddle combination disgust you," explained Sheldon, "you may separate the meat and pasta with ease rather than the complicating division in a circular structure, which I know to be frustrating itself."

Kate looked at him sternly.

"Bowl, it is," Sheldon responded quickly, glancing from her overt gaze. He added a spoon, took three napkins and handed them to her. She took them, making sure her hands didn't touch his.

He sat beside her, glancing at her to be sure that her illness wouldn't jump from her to him. He had that happen before, twice actually. Kate noticed his attentive gaze and she smiled gently.

"If you're afraid of me, I can move to the other seat." She gestured to the far right cushion. "I'm not above it."

"I do accept your offer but for some reason that I can't understand," said Sheldon, "I prefer that you be closer to me rather than far away."

"Why do you say that?" inquired Kate.

"In any case you die," said Sheldon, "the distance will be subtracted by a foot and two inches, in which case inhibits the Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation, in case it is needed. However, I will warn you that should anything remotely occurs in that situation, you best nominate another rescuer as placing my mouth onto another's is extremely unpleasant. However, I'll secure the comfort in your mind that I have done CPR to a nun who'd passed out in a bus from heat exhaustion."

He added with a dismal note, "It was very unpleasant."

"I'd imagine so," Kate returned. She sighed. "But I doubt I'll die anytime soon. And I know your phobia towards illness. I'm not going to be offended if you wish me to move."

"Then please do so," Sheldon replied casually.

Kate half-smiled and moved her butt over to the other cushion. She remade her blanket around herself, making a cocoon. She tucked her feet underneath her and shivered slightly, in spite of the hot bowl on her lap and the blanket wrapped around her body.

Sheldon paid no attention to her movement as he opened a can of Mountain Dew and took out a package of Red Vines, opening them from the 'tear here' top of the package.

"So," sighed Sheldon. He turned his head to her. "What movie did you select for tonight?"

"I didn't," Kate returned.

"Why not?"

"If my past answers determine the future inquiries, Sheldon, you'd know why." Kate remarked, looking at him with heavy eyelids.

Sheldon looked at the television in thought then turned to her.

"You don't know?" he asked.

"Close," Kate said, nodding her head. "I don't care." She took in a spoonful of soup and sighed in disgust. She placed the bowl on the table, regarding it.

"What's wrong?" asked Sheldon. "Did you taste salmonella?"

"No. I just don't have the appetite," Kate remarked. She shuddered again in revulsion from the taste. "I'm not that hungry anyway."

"Kate, you're sick; you have to have something nutritional digesting in your body to aid your digestive track in breaking down the pathogens nesting inside you," Sheldon chastised. "The reason of having no appetite hardly justifies starving yourself."

Kate glared at him.

"If I don't want to eat, Sheldon, I'm don't have to. I'm not going to either, not matter how you shove it down my throat."

Sheldon stared at her, completely repulsed by the idea of force feeding her.

"By all means, Kate, I would do no such thing. It'd include my hands in your throat." He shuddered at the thought. "That's unpleasant too." He stood and took her bowl, and emptied it in the sink, rinsed it down, and looked around at her, hands clasped in front of him.

"What would you like to eat instead?" asked Sheldon.

"Nothing," Kate remarked.

"That's hardly the nourishment that's necessary…"

"I don't want anything to eat, Sheldon," Kate snapped. "Let. It. Go."

Sheldon flinched when her tone became biting, as though she'd might as well had thrown a book at him. He licked his lips and sighed.

"At least drink something," Sheldon said, stepping towards her, standing in front of the armchair. "What you lack in mastication could be replaced in liquid consumption. Some OJ is normally recommended but milk is also customary." He opened the refrigerator. "Which would you prefer?"

"Neither," said Kate.

He closed the refrigerator and looked at her impatiently.

"Now you're just being disagreeable," Sheldon scolded.

Kate frowned, glaring at him.

"In my case, it's necessary," Kate snarled. She began to stand up but immediately, she winced and gasped in pain and landed on the floor; she'd completely forgotten the swollen sprained ankle that was her right. As she had fallen on the floor, Sheldon's reaction was immediately concerned and quick.

He hurried to her side and aided her, placing her arm around his shoulders; he lifted her up (Kate was surprised in his upper body strength) and she sat on the couch.

"How quickly one forgets about their injuries while their immunity system slowly disbands," Sheldon mused gently. He watched Kate touch her ankle painfully.

"Indeed," she agreed. Kate shook her head and groaned miserably, "Sometimes I wonder if my job is worth this much trouble."

Sheldon looked at her; it was the first time Kate ever dismissed her job as being anything but enjoyable and gratifying. Her statement of misery made him uncomfortable as she winced.

Kate threw the covers off her, placing them behind as she looked at him.

"Why are you staring at me?" she asked.

"I'm not staring," said Sheldon. "I was experiencing difficulty in coming up with an answer to your question, but now I see it was rhetorical."

He sat in his spot and looked at her.

"Why do you insist on doing a job that makes your life miserable, anyhow? Do you truly get that much happiness in slicing open human parts, running around a five-story hospital, and having superiors and patients ignore you?"

Kate looked at him.

"When you say it like that, Sheldon, it sounds bad," said Kate.

"It _sounds_ bad; Kate it _is_ bad," Sheldon returned analytically. "The logic remains fruitless when the sun sets and the dark ascend; what you're trying to accomplish on the job is a way of helping the people that simply refuse to listen. You might as well be asking for this illness. No doubt that's from where you've acquired it. Besides spending your time here, you're at the hospital, and you know as well as I do, that there are no germ infestation in this apartment—the apartment across the hall, more likely, but not here."

Kate shook her head and said sadly, "I went to school to be a surgeon. If I stop being one, then it'll be all for nothing."

Sheldon nodded, considering it. "You're right about that."

Kate smiled in spite of herself, saying with a small hopeful tone, "This is just a fall-out. My time in the hospital will be well-spent in the end."

"That's another way of looking at it," Sheldon noted. He looked at the television as if remembering what they were talking about before Kate had stood to her disabled feet. He remembered in a minute.

"So," said Sheldon. "You didn't pick a movie for tonight's viewing?"

"No," Kate affirmed. "And so, according to the Roommate-Relationship Agreement, when one party's selection of movie, TV series, or documentary proves ineffective or lacking, the other party may select in their own preference." Kate glanced at him. "So, you choose."

"I don't know why you cited the Agreement to me; I designed it," said Sheldon notably.

"Well, I've heard you cite similar clauses to Leonard and I decided to give it a try; I can see why you do it," Kate stated, smiling without cause.

"Ah," Sheldon returned. He stood. "Well, this will take some time in choosing, as I was unprepared for this occasion; normally, you're so well prepared that I've found myself becoming too lenient upon myself for the impromptu moments in life. I should have known better." He sat criss-crossed in front of the movie rack in order to choose a movie.

Kate laid her back on the couch. Her physical exhaustion had been unwavering; she never got enough sleep to push the tire from her and because of it, she felt tired. Her mind was mainly blurry, and her brain was pulsating like the beating heart of the patients she'd regularly sewn or replaced. Her ankle, thanks to her stupid move, was swelled and painfully throbbing; she wanted nothing more than to surgically remove it!

Her eyelids even hurt as she closed them, only to create a burning sensation in her eyeballs. Her neck was stiff, belly was turning in nauseated circles—she felt horrible all the way around.

Sheldon, apparently, had a chosen a movie—much quicker than Kate expected—and she wasn't surprised to see that it was the Star Trek: The Next Generation episode where they had picked up last date night. Kate wasn't against his decision but her attention span was half-way lacking.

He sat in his spot again and looked at her curiously.

"Are you okay, Kate?"

"As okay I'll ever get," Kate returned nasally. She leaned forward, feeling the circling in her stomach become quicker and larger.

"Are you sure?" Sheldon said, eying her carefully.

Kate was ready to repeat herself but the feeling in her stomach was reaching to her throat. She stood and quickly limped from the living room to the bathroom, lifted the toilet seat and almost threw up a lung as she exfoliated whatever contents was left in her belly. She was glad that she hadn't eaten that soup. Kate was damn sure this wasn't a damn cold: it was influenze. She had the flu.

From her puking sounds, Sheldon stood behind the bathroom door, which was closed. Against his good measure, he spoke through the bathroom door, despite his dislike for it.

"Kate?"

"I'm fine," Kate remarked, although she sounded otherwise. Right next to claustrophobia, she inexplicably feared vomiting; it was unnatural to her, and the feeling was unwelcome; how bulimic girls managed to do this after every meal was incredible to her. Sweat welcomed itself along her neck, hands, back, and face and she wasn't prepared for another round when it came out uncontrollably.

She gripped the toilet rim and whimpered when it came out.

"Are you sure; you don't sound fine!" Sheldon yelled through the door. With added disgust he offered, "Do you need me to hold your hair back?"

Kate hyperventilated, attempting to gain control of her stomach. She was the master of it, not it. She practiced in and out breathing, controlling—gain control, Kate, gain it! A few minutes later, she thought she had the control, but lost it entirely as she did another round of vomiting; her stomach hurt incredibly and she halfway started crying. Her whimpering brought Sheldon into the bathroom.

"Kate…"

She flushed the toilet; her eyes had wept tears down her cheeks. She took a piece of toilet paper and wiped her mouth, only to throw it angrily in the tank. She sat on her legs.

"You don't have the cold," said Sheldon. "You're sick."

"I know I'm sick."

"No, you have the flu," Sheldon pointed out. "Vomiting, headache, sneezing, coughing—you're a walking disease."

"Thanks," remarked Kate in a cold voice. "You're really helping me here."

"Sarcasm?"

"Yes," Kate stated. She put her arms around her stomach and put her head against the cabinet doors. "But you're right, of course. I do have the flu."

"You should see a doctor so he can prescribe the correct amount and type of antibiotics; unlike the cold, influenza is typically known for causing death, and you don't want to be another statistic," said Sheldon. He side-stepped her and took out a box of baby wipes, a pair of latex gloves, and a mask that Kate knew to be worn in an isolation room for those who were contagious via droplets and airborne. He wiped his hands with the baby wipe, a finger at a time, then put on the gloves, then the mask.

"What are you doing?" asked Kate warily.

"I'm preparing myself to touch you," said Sheldon.

"Doctors to visits, Sheldon," Kate stated weakly. "You can call one and they come; they're like dogs without leashes."

Sheldon shook his head and said, "I'm glad you're referring to medical specification, otherwise Leonard, Rajesh, and I would be highly offended."

Kate looked at him and said, "What about Bernadette?"

"She's a microbiologist; she might as well be offended." Sheldon remarked, his voice muffled by the mask.

"Sheldon…" Kate scolded lightly.

Sheldon shrugged, not taking the insult back. He looked at her wearily.

"You sit right there," Sheldon stated. "I'm going to call the doctor. What's your doctor's name?"

"Opal," Kate muttered.

"Opal?"

"Dr. Opal Rines."

"Oh good, she does have a last name," said Sheldon sarcastically. "I was afraid to call and ask for a birthstone; I was going to tell you that it'd be inappropriate to ask for a doctor by her first name when I have never met this woman." He walked out of the door and as he did, Kate reached for the toilet as she expelled water—her stomach had lost its earlier contents of solids.


	45. The Chastising Preventative

Chapter 45:

Kate was still in the floor when the doctor (Dr. Opal Rines) appeared at the door of apartment 4A. As Sheldon answered it, he still wore his mask and gloves, looking at the doctor over the yellow muffling preventative. The doctor gave him a look.

"What are you doing with that on?" Dr. Rines inquired.

"The flu is contagious," Sheldon stated. "Must more be said?"

Opal Rines was Kate's doctor, but also a friend; Kate had referred to her by a first name basis rather than the title, so it was no surprise for her to see Kate's roommate (and alleged boyfriend) with precautionary usages. The mask was a little more than was needed but Opal heard he was germaphobic. Hosting a roommate with the signs and symptoms of the flu was practical to wear gloves and a mask.

Opal entered, wearing a stethoscope and carrying a briefcase. She was a medium-sized black woman with a bun in her hair, soft brown eyes, and delicate features.

"Where is she?" asked Opal, glancing around. She raised an eyebrow at the Star Trek episode that was paused, and the batman blanket on the couch. Nerds, she thought; then again, Opal was a friend of one.

"In the bathroom," Sheldon said.

"You've _contained_ her?" Opal responded incredulously.

"She's done that without my suggestion," Sheldon replied. "That, and accompanied by ten-minute intervals of vomiting has kept her sitting in front of the toilet for a long period of given time. I speculate it is her lack of consumption, which I strongly suggested; that was until her violent outburst, which from then she stood and fell, given the pain that no doubt increased as she stepped on her swollen ankle."

"Her ankle?" repeated Opal.

"She sprained it on the job; I doubt it was standing for a long period of time that enabled the sprain; she stated that she was running from the beginning to end of shift," Sheldon reported.

They walked to the bathroom, at which time, Opal asked him a question.

"How long are her shifts?"

"Kate's a workaholic, as one would suggest; she spends hours given anytime from 8 hours to 20," Sheldon said. "She's reported that there were two consecutive surgeries in which she opened two patients and they gave her no attention as she explained to them in post-surgery of how they may prevent the same situation from happening."

Opal nodded, understanding.

"That is frequently the result," Opal said. They stood in front of the door.

"Kate?" Opal said gently. To this, Kate's familiar sound of vomiting could be heard through the door. Sheldon frowned.

"Dr. Rines is here," said Opal, calling through the door. Sheldon twitched slightly.

"Dr. Rines, I know it's customary for a medical doctor to respect the privacy of a given patient, but I have a deep dislike for talking through the bathroom door, an action that can be punished by a strike," said Sheldon curtly. He opened the bathroom door.

"A strike?" repeated Opal.

Sheldon then explained to her about the strike against his rules, and Opal only shook her head, wondering how Kate could put up with this guy. The two gazed down as Kate finished, her body shaking. The doctor noticed her paleness, crying, sweating, and general lack of health.

"Oh, dear," Opal sympathized. She was close to Kate's age, perhaps older; as she lowered herself next to Kate, Sheldon took the sidelines.

Kate looked at Opal; she looked as though she'd seen a ghost.

"What's wrong, aside from your flu? You look afraid," Opal said, her eyes searching hers.

"I don't like vomiting," said Kate. "It's a phobia. I don't like it. It's unnatural, and I don't like it."

Opal nodded. She understood. She took Kate's shoulders and stood her up; Kate immediately limped off her ankle. When Kate's weight overpowered Opal's, Sheldon winced and took Kate's other arm; he was thankful for his mask and gloves.

"Let's get her to bed," Opal said.

The two hobbled Kate down the hallway and into her bedroom. They laid her down under the covers, moving the Batman decorated comforter on top of her body. Opal glanced around her friend's room, seeing the obsession between her, Batman, the Joker, and her admiration of Harley Quinn and Catwoman. It was kind of spooky, but it wasn't affecting Sheldon at all. Opal speculated that her interest in the superheroes and supervillains was what attracted the two of them in the first place.

"Kate," said Opal gently.

"What," Kate moaned.

"You're sick, I understand. And the diagnosis is easily the flu. However, I must take your vital signs to have a record of them, is that alright?"

Kate nodded wordlessly.

Sheldon watched Opal take out her thermometer, wipe it clean with an alcohol swab, and then place it in Kate's mouth. Afterwards, she took off her stethoscope, wiped it down also with an alcohol pad, and placed it against Kate's chest; Sheldon noticed Kate's soft gasp and small flinch when the no doubt cold surface touched her skin.

Concerned, Sheldon stepped forward.

"What can I do?" Sheldon offered.

Opal turned to him.

"Kate may need a cold washcloth placed on her head; it will reduce the fever at least by a small amount, but of course, anything is better than nothing."

Sheldon nodded wordlessly and quickly left the room. To Opal, it was a sweet gesture but Kate knew this was simply a diversion to leave her so he could flee to a cleaner part of the apartment. She knew this because it took him a good twenty minutes to get a simple wet washcloth.

By the time he arrived, Opal had already taken her blood pressure, temperature, heart rate, respirations, and handed her the already-prescribed and delivered medications needed for healing. Sheldon handed Opal the washcloth, to which she placed on Kate's forehead, brushing the matted hair from her face to the pillow underneath.

"This will be hard to do," said Opal. "But you must stay under the covers and wait for the fever to break. I've prescribed a dosage of antibiotics that will break down the pathogens in your body gradually. The other bottle contains a healthy dose of supplemental nourishment and Vitamin C to aid your immunity." Opal placed the bottles on her bedside table. She looked at Kate. "According to your roommate, you've been working constantly. The illness is caused by lack of restful sleep, which has lowered your immunity levels. Having supplemental rest will be good for you."

Kate looked at her indifferently.

"But, Opal, I'm scheduled for a surgery tomorrow."

"Is it yours?"

"No, a patient's."

"Then you will call in sick and take sick leave for two weeks," said Opal.

"But…"

"If you don't rest, Kate, your flu will get worse and it'll become pneumonia." Opal chastised. "I know you're dedicated to your work but on a contrary to what you believe, there is such a thing as overworking. You have done that."

Kate sat up.

"The surgery can only be performed by me; I was personally requested," said Kate coldly.

Sheldon stood beside Opal and said, "As that may be, you're sick and you need to get better before you performed a detailed operation. As my mother always says when I'm being stubborn, 'Not everything revolves around you, Shelly'."

Opal gave him a weird expression and looked at Kate.

"He's right," Opal said.

Sheldon looked at the doctor and said, "Of course I'm right."

Kate shook her head at the two.

"I'm not staying home," said Kate coldly. "I have a surgery to do. They depend on me. My patients need me. I'm going to—" she began to get out of bed but Opal took her feet and moved them back on the mattress.

"Your patients have taken a lot of your compassion and dedication, Kate. Now it's their turn," Opal chastised. "It's this kind of attitude that gives people burnouts and the hours you've been putting in are absolutely ridiculous."

Sheldon crossed his arms; he didn't care for Opal's criticism towards Kate's determination. Her dedication to her work, the hours she regularly put into it, was more than admirable. It was one of the traits she possessed he could definitely tolerate.

Kate seemed to find reason and she laid back in bed.

"Fine," she spat. "Fine, I will stay."

"Promise?" Opal returned.

"Yes."

"Good," said Opal. "Your temperature is 101.9. Any higher and you will be at risk for infection and death. I hope you hear me, Kate; I've given these precautions to many of my patients and they end up with pneumonia for lack of understanding or attention."

"I know what you're talking about, Opal; you don't have to tell me that," said Kate angrily.

Opal shook her head and said to Kate, "I'm just helping you, dear."

"I know." Kate muttered. She shook her head. "This illness is really taking a handle over me."

"Don't let it," Opal said.

"Easier said than done," Kate remarked. She closed her eyes.

Sheldon walked out of the bedroom as Opal did and the two met in the living room. Sheldon undid his mask and disposed his gloves.

"You have an extreme aberration towards germs, don't you?" asked Opal, placing her stethoscope around her neck and the thermometer in her briefcase.

"Extremely," Sheldon said.

"Does Kate have it?"

"Have what?"

"The aberration?"

"I would think so," Sheldon remarked. He shrugged and said, "She is a strong advocate of my preventative measures in reducing pathogenic presences."

"Ever thought she does it please you?" Opal asked.

"I've considered the idea," Sheldon confirmed. "However, I'm a strong advocate of it as well and since we've agreed on it, it's easy to say we both do it to protect our immunity systems from conspiring germs such as those that have violated Kate's system. It's a battle we all must endure."

Opal stared at Sheldon, saying, "You didn't have many friends in school, did you?"

"Coincidental," Sheldon stated. "Most of them were illogically under the impression they hated me but they were too stupid to figure out the reason why. I never cared for the matter myself because I was too busy in college."

Opal nodded, knowing the man in front of her was a prodigy, so she didn't beg further into the matter. She handed Sheldon the prescriptions in case they needed to be refilled, as well as a paper of the meals Kate was allowed to have which held the most nutrition.

"I have a question," said Sheldon.

"What is it?" Opal asked, as she reached for the door knob.

"In the past week while Kate's been under the influence of infesting microorganisms, she lately been latent to what one of my friends suggest are bi-polar symptoms. My concern is obvious of course but I wondered if she isn't a stranger to it," said Sheldon.

Opal gave him a concerned look as well.

"Bi-polar symptoms? What do you mean?"

"Well, I'm not psychiatric expert; that's Leonard's mother's field of expertise but Kate occasionally has a bout of short tempers and carelessness. For instance, when I offered her a varied amount of soups in form of chicken noodle or cucumber, she said she didn't care. When I inquired her about the movie for tonight, she also said the same thing. When my intention was receive a more specific answer, she showed an awful amount of anger towards me. And yet, just shortly after, she mulled about her thankless job and frustration for her brief stupidity in standing on a sprained ankle." Sheldon said.

Opal stared at him as he looked at her with obvious befuddlement.

"What's your diagnosis on that?" Sheldon inquired.

"She's feeling bad because of her flu and from what I understand, you're not being empathetic; show her you care and you won't get snapped at," said Opal coolly. "You're a genius, according to her; I thought you'd figure that out."

Without another word, Opal walked out of the door, leaving Sheldon staring after her.


	46. The Kitten Inferiority

Chapter Forty-Six: The Kitten Inferiorityi

Author's Note: **LittleMissPandy-Chan** and** CrissYami **thank you for your reviews. More updates are to come

As Kate refused to call in (even after Opal and her had come to 'promise') it was Sheldon's obligation to do so. After Opal had left, he sat on the couch and dialed the number to the hospital, on her behalf, calling in. The clergy inquired her status and Sheldon explained that Kate was experiencing the influenza and the doctor had written a note to excuse her from work for at least two weeks. After thanking him for his call, the clergy hung up. Sheldon placed the phone back on the hook and looked behind him to the hallway which led to Kate's room. He licked his lips nervously, uncertain as to whether he should alert to Kate that he called for her.

There was a knock on the door, however, and it relieved Sheldon of his obligatory duties. He answered it, seeing Leonard and Penny. They looked worried…or nauseated.

"What's wrong?" asked Penny.

"Aside from Kate having taken ill, you mean?" asked Sheldon.

"Why's the doctor here?" asked Leonard.

"Meaning, the woman that came down the hall," Penny specified; she seemed to anticipate Sheldon's inquiry as to her specification of which doctor, for he, Leonard and Kate were all doctors.

"I had her come here to diagnose Kate," said Sheldon. "She doesn't have the common cold; she's acquired the flu, no doubt her workplace plays as home for their existence." He added awkwardly, "Apparently, she's also been overworking herself."

Penny nodded, knowing that was the great deal of reason why she hardly ever saw Kate anymore.

"Can we check on her?" asked Leonard.

"I wouldn't," Sheldon stated. "She's contagious."

"Well, that won't stop me," Penny remarked. She walked past Sheldon.

"If you do approach her, please wear the protective equipment I've placed outside her door," Sheldon called to her. He turned his head to Leonard. "Do you think she heard me?"

"She probably did but ignored you," answered Leonard knowingly. He past his former roommate and the latter closed the door with a click. "So how did you know to call the doctor? She was the same way when we left here before."

"Not quite," Sheldon said. He sat in his spot. "She was rather moody, snapping at me. I think it's the illness that's caused her bouts of snippy comments." He drank a sip from his Mountain Dew and nibbled on a Red Vine.

Leonard glanced at the food and coke, then at the television. He noticed the blanket on the couch, indicative that it was Kate's for she was obsessed with the Dark Knight as he and Sheldon were of the Star Trek series or nerdy things in the like.

"Were you guys having a date night?" asked Leonard incredulously.

"Per the Relationship agreement, Kate and I signed agreement that the third Thursday of every month would be Anything-Can-Happen Thursday, also our Date Night." Sheldon cited. He looked at the TV. "It was originally her choice of movie but as she was unprepared, the Relationship Agreement also respectfully states that if the designated party's selection become invalid or lacking that the selection then is passed to the other party, indicatively, me. While Kate explains that the reason she didn't choose one is because she was careless, I'm under the impression that her illness made her indifferent to the movie, more over, the night over all."

Leonard stared at him. Did Sheldon Cooper just infer that he understood why Kate had no movie selected? What was going on?

Leonard sat on the middle cushion to which Sheldon immediately said, "You can't sit there."

Sighing dismissively, Leonard sat on the armchair.

"So, let me guess. Knowing Kate was sick, you still insisted on having a date night?" asked Leonard.

"An occasion should never be postponed based on one person's disposition. From what I understand, if the roles were reversed and I was the one under the sickness' affliction, Kate would have insisted as well." Sheldon stated. He sipped another drink from his can of coke.

"I doubt that," Leonard stated.

"Why?" asked Sheldon. "If you were sick and it was a date night and Penny was completely healthy, would you not pretend general health in order to avoid her disappointment of the event not occurring?"

"I guess," said Leonard.

"My point, therefore, stands." Sheldon replied. He looked at the Star Trek episode that remained paused.

Leonard shook his head and said, "Kate wouldn't be mad if you were sick and didn't want Date Night to happen."

"I disagree," said Sheldon. "She'd be offended. Just like Penny would be if you said 'no' to Date Night. From my understanding, Date Night is a moment in time where two people try to participate in bonding and exchange of saliva and possible coitus."

Leonard stared at him, saying, "Were you anticipating coitus?"

"Of course not," Sheldon responded, placing the can on the table. "She's sick."

Leonard raised his eyebrows, saying carefully, "But say she was in full health…would you be waiting for her to initiate it?"

Sheldon glared at him.

"I see what you're doing," stated Sheldon coolly.

"Really? What am I doing?" Leonard asked, sitting back in the chair.

"You're trying to trick me into saying what I'm thinking about Kate," said Sheldon. "More to the point, through a questionnaire of hypothetical scenarios, I speculate that you, Leonard, are deceiving me into spilling some secrecy."

"You caught me," Leonard admitted. "But for the sake of knowledge, tell me what you intended to happen for Date Night."

"Watching a movie and eating Red Vines while drinking a coke deemed efficient for me," Sheldon returned innocently.

"That's it?"

"What else would happen?"

"Sex."

"I doubt it," scoffed Sheldon.

"Why?"

"Given the circumstances, Kate's stamina would be lower than usual and her health isn't up to full potential, therefore her likelihood of receiving any pleasure from the situation would be lesser than the normal." Sheldon stated in a factual tone.

Leonard looked at him with a smug smile and said, "So you _do_ think about it."

"I've hypothesized varied circumstances in which the matter would occur," Sheldon corrected. He shifted uncomfortably.

"It's funny you actually know some things," said Leonard. "Referring to sex, itself."

"Oh, please; what's not to know? Based on the information I hear you, Wolowitz, and Penny discuss I'd be able to write a novel and it'd sell better than any science fiction based movie that's ever been directed," Sheldon stated. He added briefly, "And of course I know 'a few things'. I'm a theoretical physicist; I have a working knowledge of all that exists in the universe."

"But only in theory," Leonard pointed out. He stood. "Kate knows from experience. Don't you feel the slightest inferior to her knowledge on the topic?"

Sheldon frowned.

"Kate's sexual history has no inferiority to mine, Leonard. According to Penny, her experience is basic, and not contributive to those she's experienced with in the past." Sheldon replied coolly.

Leonard stared at him, mouth open.

In a tone that was slightly abashed, he said, "Are you saying that Penny said I was nothing special?"

"If that's how you interpret that data, then yes, I suppose so." Sheldon returned.

Leonard blinked twice and then shook his head, probably convincing himself that he was different in bed than the others.

Penny entered the room, regarding the mask and gloves provided but ignored them. She knocked on the door and entered. Kate was awake, looking at the ceiling, which Penny glanced at to see a picture promoting the 'The Dark Knight' movie that premiered so long ago. It was mostly the Joker and Batman, back-to-back in a split screen holding a joker's car and a batarang respectively. It was signed by Christian Bale and Heath Ledger. Penny raised her eyebrows but then looked at Kate.

"Hey, girl."

Kate turned her head to see Penny on the side of her bed.

"Hey," Kate replied; she sounded horrible. She knew it too.

"How are you feeling, Sweetie?" Penny asked.

"To be frank, I'm feeling terrible."

"The flu…gotcha. Stupid question, huh?" Penny said, feeling stupid. She put her hand on Kate's and said gently, "Doctor say anything?"

"I'm sick, I need rest—the usual," said Kate. "I have a surgery scheduled for tomorrow and I'm going to have to call in."

"I have a feeling Sheldon did that already," said Penny. "He's done a few things without telling people, for once. Mostly it's all in good intentions, I think."

"Hmm," Kate uttered. "Aside from everything, it's not the flu I feel terrible about."

"What?" Penny asked. "Why?"

"Because, the flu is the flu. I feel bad about Sheldon."

"Other than the reasons I already know, why feel bad for him? You're the one that's sick," Penny said, shaking her head confusedly.

Kate turned her head to her.

"It was Date Night and I was snapping at him and I ruined the date."

"You're sick, Sweetie. No one expects to be okay with everything," Penny noted. "Besides, Sheldon knew you were sick when he scheduled this stupid date night thing. He refuses to bow down to any rule of thumb when it comes to the routine."

Kate smiled.

"I know you're trying to make me feel better, Penn, but it's not really working," said Kate.

The blonde waitress shrugged.

"Well," she said, taking the washcloth from her head, "I guess he's trying his best, right?"

"Yes," said Kate.

There was a knock on the door and Penny stood to open it. However, Leonard entered without invitation.

"You think I'm not better than other people in bed?" Leonard demanded.

Penny and Kate stared at him.

"What?" the two of them said in unison.

Leonard stood in front of Penny and towards the head board of Kate's bed.

"Sheldon told me what you told him; you think I'm nothing special, that your experience in the past makes no difference to what's happening in the present!" Leonard stated indifferently.

Penny glanced between him and Kate and said slowly, "How the hell did you find out?"

"Find out? So it's true then!" Leonard said, pointing at her. "You think I'm like everyone else. And to answer your question, Sheldon and I were discussing Kate's sexual history."

Kate suddenly felt flushed, which had nothing to do with her fever.

"Why are you talking about her sex life?" Penny interrogated.

"I asked him what he was intending on the date night since he insisted on it while Kate was still sick; you know he thinks about it?" said Leonard without a reference to the first problem initially.

Penny's eyes widened as they always did when she found out something incredible—whether that was being given 1400 dollars from a past boyfriend or finding out that Sheldon had a girlfriend—twice.

"Awesome," said Penny, smirking. She looked at Kate. "Were you going to…"

"No," Kate muttered. "I'm sick, Penny. I don't do things when I'm sick."

Leonard grinned but then he remembered what was going on for the first place and said to Penny, "So you think I'm sexually inferior?"

"No," said Penny. She touched Leonard's cheek and said affectionately, "You're great."

Kate rolled her eyes.

"If you all are going to talk about this, can I please go to sleep?" asked Kate warily.

"Oh right, sorry, Sweetie," Penny apologized. She touched Kate's hand and said gently, "Get better, okay? We'll have girl night when you're all better."

"Great," Kate muttered. She smiled in spite of herself.

"Cool. Night, Kate." Penny said.

"Yeah, sure, good night," Leonard agreed. He looked at Penny, unconvinced. Penny touched his hand and said sweetly, "Come on, Leonard. You know Sheldon can over exaggerate."

"Whatever," said Leonard. "You know he can't keep secrets."

"Fine," said Penny. She kissed Leonard on the mouth, long and deep and said in a low sultry voice, "I'll show you personally he's over exaggerating." She winked and Leonard chased after her with bated breath and earnest.

Kate shook her head and closed her eyes to attempt sleep.

It wasn't unexpected when Kate was restless. Her body ached to move but she felt too weak to do so. She sat up in bed and wiped the sweat from her brow, looking warily at the ceiling.

Knock, knock, knock.

"Kate."

Knock, knock, knock.

"Kate."

Knock, knock, knock.

"…Kate."

"Come in, Sheldon," Kate said.

Sheldon opened the door and wore his gloves but he had disposed of the mask before entering the room. Kate noticed and inquired the absence of it.

"Penny mentioned to me that it might lower your self-dignity," said Sheldon. "She insisted on it and that's the only reason why she's gone." He sat carefully on the edge of Kate's bed, looking at her. "I might have embarrassed Leonard but to a point I'm misunderstanding."

Kate smiled and said, "You're referring to Leonard's inquiry of being less than excellent with Penny in coitus?"

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows at her curiously.

"How did you know?"

"Leonard came in and asked about it," said Kate. "Then he and Penny exchanged kissing and sultry invitations to the matter, at which point, Leonard ran after her with the begging eyes of a dog."

Sheldon smiled.

"One could imagine." He said. "Contrary to the matter, he asked me a disturbing question to which I'm now troubled."

Kate cocked her head.

"Troubled? How so?"

"For reasons I fail to understand, I have a biting curiosity. Leonard…" began Sheldon, but as he did when he mentioned his desire for her, Kate could see his discomfort in the matter. She gave him time and patience, despite her sick feeling and headache.

"Leonard," said Sheldon, "proposed the pending embarrassment I should feel that you have experience in the…act…while I only theorize from the matter. I didn't know whether or not I should feel inferior to your knowledge, as I only grasp an infinite theorization for it."

Kate smiled at him.

"You're wondering if you _should _feel inferior to me?" asked Kate. "Like, you're actually curious if you need to choose to be inferior to me because I know more about sex than you do?"

Sheldon frowned.

"If you wish to dot the 'I's and cross the 'T's to understand the inquiry, then so be it," said Sheldon coolly.

Kate suddenly turned her head and put her nose and mouth to her sleeve and Sheldon' curiosity suddenly became apparent when she let out a small 'achoo'. It was acute and squeaky. Sheldon looked at her, slightly unhinged. Kate took a breath.

"Sorry." She said gently. "To answer your question, Sheldon, I doubt you should be, as you put it, 'inferior' to me in the knowledge. After all, if you want to be equal in knowledge, you don't have to remain in the dark, so to speak. I'll gladly let you in on the trivia."

Sheldon gave her an odd look.

"You are offering me a sexual encounter in order for me to feel equally or more superior to you?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm not offering anything for anything, Sheldon." Kate muttered. "But I know you to be a very determined and curious man so if you really want to know about sexual intercourse, not from theory, but from experience, I'm up for experimentation."

Sheldon looked at her.

"Not now of course," said Kate. "I'm neither in health or at my full potential, being sick as I am."

"That's what I tried explaining to Leonard but apparently he can only understand things in experience, not from theory, evidently." Sheldon stated, looking at the floor then at her.

"You explained to Leonard that I'm not in my full potential to have sex with you?" Kate questioned; she sounded more interested than angered. That was a good sign; Sheldon had enough of her snippy retorts and biting tone.

"I get the impression I might have divulged something personal," muttered Sheldon.

"Not really. Why did you talk to him about that?"

"He interrogated me."

"Interrogated?"

"He proposed varied simulations of how this date night would have happened from start to finish and hypothesized that if you and I were in full health that we'd have…you know…"

"That's circumstantial," said Kate sweetly.

Sheldon remarked, "I explained to Leonard that you were sick and no such thing would have happened. Apparently, he'd have placed the same offer to Penny if she were in little health. Therefore, I explained to him, too, that if such an appalling situation happened, which it would not have in any given universe, that you would be less...well, wouldn't be in your full potential."

Sheldon spoke the last with embarrassment; Kate grinned. She wasn't a fan of taking advantage but she enjoyed the occasional moment where he was completely vulnerable.

"Sheldon," said Kate, "That's sweet."

"What is?"

"It's nice to hear that you wouldn't try anything while I'm sick," said Kate. "It's nice to not constantly be berated about it." She smiled and said, "It's one of the perks I like about you."

Sheldon smiled and said, "If I were opposite, would that be, as Penny calls it, a 'deal breaker'."

"Yeah," said Kate. "But you're not."

Sheldon nodded awkwardly, accepting her statement and considering it to be a compliment. He looked at her momentarily.

"You still look horrible," Sheldon pointed out.

"I know," Kate stated. "I feel it."

Sheldon shifted uncomfortably but looked determined.

"Whenever I feel sick or under the weather, my mom sings 'Soft Kitty' to me." Sheldon said quietly. "Seeing that you are sick, I questioned whether or not you would deem that as a possible endeavor for comfort."

Kate looked at him.

"What's 'Soft Kitty'?"

"As I've already told you, it's a song for when you are sick," Sheldon replied, keeping his patience.

Kate smiled. "This isn't a reference to the analogy you used the other night, is it?"

Sheldon frowned slightly and said, "How is this a reference to that?"

"Kitty…kitten, metaphorical cats in general—sorry, Howard's managed to confront me about it since then and now when someone says anything referable to the animal, I start blushing and my insides light on fire."

Sheldon raised his eyebrows.

"If you're internally combusting, you might have to speak to Opal again…"

"I'm not talking literally," said Kate, but she had blushed with the knowledge of saying something she hadn't intended on admitting…except maybe to Penny.

"Oh…then what other—"

"Sheldon," said Kate quietly. He stopped talking immediately. "I'm sick; I'm just saying stuff, I guess…you know, delusions and such."

Sheldon seemed to understood for he nodded. He looked at the door then at her.

"I'm surprised you're still awake," Sheldon noted.

"I can't sleep," said Kate.

Sheldon smiled and said, "Another reason why my mother sang the song."

"Fine," said Kate gently. "If you think it'll help."

Kate lied back down and she closed her eyes. Sheldon took a breath and then he sang quietly:  
_Soft Kitty, Warm Kitty: Little ball of fur. Happy Kitty, Sleepy Kitty, Purr, purr, purr._

Kate smiled at him.

"That was beautiful," she murmured.

Sheldon smiled, saying, "I know; my mother has a knack for rhyming, doesn't she?"

"I meant your voice but yes, that too," Kate said. She sighed deeply. "Thank you for taking care of me; I know you'd have rather done something else."

Sheldon shrugged, neither admitting or denying, which was only his way of admitting. Kate smiled at him, still.

"I'm going to continue the Star Trek episode. I'll be in the living room if you need anything. If you should come out, please wear gloves and a mask; it's all preventative, no matter what Penny theorizes." Sheldon said. He stood.

"Sheldon, do you oftentimes wonder how your mother came up with 'Soft Kitty'?"

"I surmise that she has an increasingly adaptive imaginative towards 'Soft Kitty', which gives the word 'kitty' unreasonable amounts of fondness. We've had a cat named 'Lucky' who proved to be a faithful companion. On an unrelated topic, I once invested in twenty-five cats which Leonard and Penny surmise that it was to replace an empty space in my heart where Amy had allocated before her sudden departure then soon again appearance in my life, at which point the kitties had to go."

Kate smiled and said, "Kitties _are _faithful companions."

"Indeed, kittens are." Sheldon agreed.

"Good night, Sheldon."

"Good night, Kitten." Sheldon said and the two glanced at each other suddenly.

"Um…" Sheldon began but Kate smiled.

"Don't worry, Sheldon. It's fine." Kate said. She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Sheldon walked out of the room; he wondered if that was a slip of the tongue but the animal matched Kate perfectly.


	47. the star crazy proposal

Chapter Forty-Seven: The Star-Crazy Proposal

While Kate was lucid and weak for another week (that meant 2 weeks of caring for her), Sheldon had become concerned. He'd been concerned before but her sickness was driving him star crazy. The flu had lasted this long, how much longer could it be? He disinfected the bathroom, the kitchen, and anything Kate would have touched in the past. Although he cared for her (but never did he speak it aloud), he wanted no part in whatever she contracted from the other sickly souls in the hospital.

Dr. Opal Rines came in for a visit, checking on Kate's progress. To his surprise, she actually said that Kate was getting better, compared to the woman that was practically hanging on Death's life boat for dear life. Now Kate was getting better. Sheldon hardly thought so.

Opal insisted and gave Sheldon a refill of the drug prescription for Kate's immunity and said that it would help her greatly. He nodded and she walked out of the apartment. Prior to her visit before, Leonard and Penny came over again, checking on Kate and Sheldon.

When they saw Sheldon in the kitchen, Leonard and Penny glanced at each other curiously. Sheldon was a creature of habit; it was Saturday night, 8:20, and Sheldon was in the kitchen, _not_ doing his laundry. Apparently, he was aware of it as well for he was looking uncomfortable.

Leonard approached him from the side, as though confronting a suicidal man from the window.

"Sheldon? Buddy?" Leonard said gently.

Sheldon looked at him.

"What?" he said.

"Are you feeling okay?" asked Leonard. "You're here."

"Of course I'm here," said Sheldon. "In what other place would I be?"

"I don't know," Penny remarked sarcastically. "In the laundry room, perhaps?"

"No need to remind me," Sheldon said painfully. He shook his head. "I can't move from this spot though."

"Why not?" Penny inquired.

Sheldon looked at her.

"Yeah," said Leonard gently. "You're able to move; you can go to the laundry room, do your laundry, come back up, it'll be fine. Just do what you normally do."

"I would," Sheldon said. He said in a dream-like state, "There's nothing I want to do more than pre-soak my colors and whites then place them in separate washing machines…"

"Then why don't you?" asked Penny.

Sheldon gave her a cold and distant gaze, to which Penny stepped behind Leonard, who narrowed his eyes, trying to figure out what was going on.

"What if, by chance, that I leave this room, and Kate needs me? I'm her only caretaker right now," Sheldon said. He looked at Leonard and Penny. "What if, too, she needs someone to perform CPR correctly? You don't know how to do it"—he gestured to Leonard—"and she's hardly certified, if not even knowledgeable in the act." He looked at Penny and then shook his head. "No, for the time being, I must stay here."

"Why don't you just leave and come back?" suggested Leonard.

"That's rather careless, don't you think?" Sheldon chastised. "'Leave and come back'; not only does that suggest that I leave Kate without supervision, that also implies I'd leave my clothes without attendance as well. That's highly irresponsible, Leonard; shame on you."

"It was a suggestion, Sheldon," Leonard emphasized. "You don't have to take it."

"Good, I wasn't going to," Sheldon said. He leaned his back against the counter and shook his head. "I don't think I can take much more of this."

"Much more of what?" Penny uttered curiously.

"Between Dr. Rines' constant visits and interruptions of my Star Trek, my inability to play Halo without knowing Kate might be dead in the next room, and basically my whole life descending into whatever fresh hell this is, my nervous system is being stretched over a 2 plank boards, and the cosmic sadists are playing them like strings on a harp."

Leonard and Penny glanced at each other carefully and Leonard stepped forward. Sheldon continued though.

"Dr. Rines _swears _Kate is getting better but to her ignorance, I say otherwise," said Sheldon coldly. "My routine is completely disturbed, and my laundry is not being done and it's not 8:33." He shook his head and looked at his neighbors. "I've given her soup, I've kept her in bed, I've called her idiotic board to inform them that she's presently under Death's grips and they've yelled at me three times explaining that Kate must be healthy by the next week because there's an important surgery, or whatever they were jabbering about." Sheldon took a deep breath and added, "Between Dr. Rines, Kate, the board, and my over-all lack of routine and working, I feel trapped in a cage with only two tunnels to venture, which both lead me back to the center." He gestured the tunnels leading back to the center of the air and shook his head again.

"Sheldon," Penny began. "I can take care of Kate if, oh, you and Leonard want to take a trip to the laundry room and do your laundry."

Sheldon sighed.

"Weren't you listening, Penny?" Sheldon complained. "Kate is dependent on me."

"She's not dependent," Leonard remarked. "It's nice you're taking care of her, but that doesn't mean she's relying on your ever-abiding presence. Remember, Sheldon, she was living alone for a long time before she began rooming with you."

Sheldon blinked.

"But she's sick, Leonard."

"She's sick, sure, but she's not dying." Leonard remarked. "At one point, yeah, I guess she was, but you said so that Opal said she's getting better."

Sheldon sighed and said with resolution, "I suppose I can leave the apartment." He said quickly, "But just for a few minutes." He began to leave the apartment and said to Leonard on the way out, "I don't want to be gone too long; if something should happen, Penny will need my assistance."

"Don't worry," Leonard coaxed. "If Kate needs CPR, we can depend on Penny's Nebraskan man hands to do the job."

"Hey!"

"Kidding, honey," Leonard said sweetly. "I'll see you in a few."

"Okay, have fun you guys!"

Sheldon beamed and said, "Oh, I will!"

Penny sat on the couch while the guys did laundry.

The next three days was Kate's definite progress. While she no longer coughed or vomited, Kate was sniffling, having a small headache—she was getting better. Her sprained ankle had healed through elevation and her moods weren't as erratic.

When Kate awoke, she saw Sheldon sitting on the side of her bed; he held a thermometer, blood pressure cuff, stethoscope, and an oxygen monitor. Kate smiled.

"What are you doing, Sheldon?" she asked.

"I'm going to take your vital signs, measuring your blood pressure, monitoring your oxygen levels and heart rate, all while taking your temperature and doing so, I'm wearing gloves, in any case you decided to sneeze or otherwise spread germs that call your mouth a happy home." Sheldon returned simply.

"Where'd you get all that?" Kate inquired, glancing at the equipment.

"I went into your bedroom," Sheldon explained, "and found your bag you regularly bring to work with you. It conveniently supplied the items needed to measure a perfectly healthy or imminently sick human being. Although, it's not a wonder to me that Chance can use these same items to tell whether a dog is sick or had swallowed too much grass."

Kate's eyes opened completely, looking at him.

"Chance?"

"Yes," said Sheldon. "She visited about a week ago." He smiled and said, "Did you know she owns a 2-year old Calico cat?"

"No," Kate returned.

"She does; she brought him here to demonstrate to Raj that the vital sign measurements we take from the equipment are used in similar forms to tell whether a cat or a dog is in good health. According to her measurements and results, Jelly Bean has a slower than normal heart rate, high blood pressure, and a temperature of 98.0."

"Jelly Bean?" Kate giggled.

"The name of the cat," Sheldon explained. He handed the thermometer. "Place this underneath your tongue, and hold it there for two minutes."

"Yes, Doctor," Kate said, her smile tugging her lips. She took the thermometer and did as she was told.

Sheldon gave her an odd look for she referred to his title but in a different tone. It wasn't the formal tone he normally heard, but it was the tone he heard Penny and Bernadette use when they flirted with their companions…was Kate flirting with him? Sheldon made a small clearing of his throat and opened the blood pressure cuff.

"Now, which arm has your strongest brachial pulse?" Sheldon asked, looking at her curiously.

"They're the same in each arm," Kate remarked.

"Not exactly; medical science dictates that although the pressure lies similar in each arm, the blood pressure reading can be higher or lower than the pre-measurement of the previous extremity, so by inference, the blood pressure is not the same."

Kate stared at him. So this is what it felt like when Sheldon lectured Raj on his own culture.

"Fine, then since you're on my right," Kate said, "this one." He held out her right arm.

He placed the back of her hand on his knee and Kate smirked at him. One had to keep in mind that the two of them hadn't shared in the slightest physical content in a month, not since that event where the group had eavesdropped on them. Aside from the past two weeks and two days that Kate was ill, it was also because the two were so mortified by their discovery that they'd not even remotely attempted to place themselves in the situation again. However, the feeling of him on the back of her hand made Kate feel the familiar electric shock.

Sheldon licked his lips with concentration, and touched his two fingers to the middle of her arm, between her forearm and bicep. She felt her own beating pulse against his fingers but it was quicker than normal, beating harder than normal.

Sheldon looked at her curiously.

"Do you, by chance, have tachycardia or perhaps an irregular heartbeat?"

Kate smiled gently and said, "No. I have a healthy heart."

"Not according to my findings," Sheldon said. "When we're through, you may want to call Opal about your situation."

"I have no situation," Kate denied. Sheldon ignored her and placed the cuff around her arm and the stethoscope's ear pieces in his ears. Kate watched him as he placed the cold surface of the bottom piece to her arm and he pumped the cuff to 160…Kate remained quiet, knowing the protocol for when one took another's blood pressure. When he finished, he looked at her.

"Your blood pressure reading is 130 systolic over 90 diastolic."

Kate smiled and said smoothly, "Most people can't remember systolic over diastolic."

"I'm not most people," Sheldon reminded. "I have an eidetic memory."

"I know, I think it's sexy." Kate replied.

Sheldon glanced away from her and busied his concentration with taking off the cuff and placing the stethoscope down on his lap. He glanced at his watch and said, "It's been two minutes. Remove the thermometer and read it for me."

Kate took out the mercury-imbedded stick and looked at it with narrowed eyes.

"98.9."

"That's a little high," Sheldon noted.

"It's about average for me." Kate protested. "I'm healthy again."

"I disagree; the ideal temperature for a human is 98.8. You're one degree higher."

"I'd say that's because you're in front of me on my bed in my bedroom," Kate pointed out.

Sheldon tilted his head to one side.

"How would that justify your temperature's reading?"

Kate smiled, shaking her head.

"Can you hand me a wipe so I can disinfect this?" Kate asked.

"Of course."

Sheldon handed Kate an unopened packet and she opened it, wiping down the thermometer.

"Thank you for taking care of me, Sheldon," Kate said. "I appreciate the gesture."

"It was an obligation," Sheldon noted. "Per the Roommate-Relationship Agreement…"

"I got it," Kate said. "You don't have to cite the agreement to me." She handed the thermometer to Sheldon.

Kate pulled off the cover from her legs and turned so she sat with her legs dangling off the mattress. Sheldon looked at her curiously.

"Are you sure you are feeling well?" Sheldon queried.

"Yes."

He touched her forehead with the back of his hand, which felt cool against her skin. Kate smiled at his gesture.

"You're sweaty," Sheldon noted.

"I've been under the covers for two weeks. And I just broke out of a fever."

"Your skin is still hot."

"Like I said, Sheldon," said Kate, taking his hand from her forehead, "I've been under the covers."

Sheldon glanced at Kate, who held in his hand in hers coincidentally. The moment came rushing back between them, the turning stomachs, the rapid heartbeat, the careless attitude that would only inhibit them to be discovered again…Kate stood.

"I'm going to take a shower," said Kate.

"Just as well," said Sheldon. "I'm going to get your sheets cleaned. From my understanding, although your fever has broken and your illness has disappeared, it's still common for the germs that you'd acquired to remain dormant in the bed and surfaces surrounding, therefore allowing a comeback for future illnesses." Sheldon put on his latex gloves and from outside of the door, he took a mask, then pulled off her covers and sheets.

Kate stepped out of the room and went into the bathroom for a cold shower.

Sheldon was in the laundry room, putting Kate's sheets and covers in two different washers, leaving the other two washers open. As he leaned his back against the table, he was thinking of Kate, of course. He was more than ecstatic that she had broken through the fever and would be back to normal. To be frank, he'd rather come home and not still be guarded against germs.

"Hey."

Sheldon glanced to see Kate in the doorway. She wore a knee-length black skirt with a yellow long-sleeve that met halfway to her elbows. The Batman symbol was printed black on the contrasting yellow, and Sheldon found this to be normal. It was Kate again. Her smile was gleaming; her hair was still damp as it was matted in wavy locks down her back.

"Hello," said Sheldon.

"I have a proposal," said Kate.

"I hope you're referring to the proposition of a pending suggestion rather than that that suggests matrimony," said Sheldon. "Granted, the idea isn't too abhorrent but it still eludes a strong connection of commitment, which from my understanding in Leonard and Penny's case to be a sign for an impending break-up."

She joined him at the table.

"I'm not asking to marry you," said Kate, although her heart leapt at the idea. "I'm proposing an idea."

"Oh good," said Sheldon. "If you were proposing I had two reasons why I'd have said 'no'."

"Out of curiosity, what were they?"

"One, this is hardly the place to ask for a matrimonial bond of friendship and love."

"And the second?"

"Frankly, marriage is allowed with the permission of a guardian, being your mother or mine." Sheldon said. "We've not met either of them."

"Too true," Kate acknowledged. "Anyway,"—she put her hands on her hips—"I was going to ask that the next Date Night be more planned."

"Of course," said Sheldon. "It'll be my selection and since our date nights had started, it won't be as disorganized as you made it to be."

When Kate slightly glared at him, Sheldon raised his hands quickly, "I know that the reason was because of your illness, but one can't excuse you for that."

Kate shrugged, considering it.

"But you've intrigued me," said Sheldon. "Go on."

"Stuart said that there's going to be a party at the comic book store for Thanksgiving," said Kate. "Costume party, food, wine, the like."

"Are you proposing that we move Date Night from the designated apartment to the comic book store?" Sheldon inquired.

"Yes," said Kate.

"Well, normally, I'd give you a look expressing disappointment in your impromptu decision but who can argue against costumes? Is it specified to Marvel or DC?"

"It's open," said Kate.

"What is?"

"Anyone can dress as anyone," said Kate. "Stuart was originally going to be with Amy that day and they were going to do something similar but Amy's not into that sort of thing so date became party, and Thanksgiving is now a potluck being served to numerous mutants, superheroes, supervillains—the like. From what I understand, there's a contest for Couples Best Costume."

Sheldon touched his hand to his chin, thoughtful.

"Hmm, that's very, very intriguing." Sheldon said. "So, let me get this straight so that we are, figuratively, on the same page here. You want to move Date Night from the apartment to the comic book store this Thanksgiving so you, willingly, can dress up as a superhero—"

"Super villain," said Kate.

"Excuse me?"

"I won't be dressing up as a superhero. I'll be dressing as a supervillain."

"You mean you've already chosen the date in spite of my permission?"

"Somewhat," said Kate. She smiled and said, "But I have a feeling that you wouldn't say 'no'. You're practically debonair when it comes to costumes."

Sheldon was flattered as he smiled and said, "You're right. I do come up with the best costumes."

"Indeed," said Kate. She held out her hands. "So what do you say?"

"I'm all for it," said Sheldon happily.

"Good," said Kate. "Should I tell our friends?"

"Of course; victory is always better when our friends share the moment we win," Sheldon said.

"Good."

The washer stopped and the two transferred the sheets to the dryer.

The two roommates then told the friends about the Thanksgiving Day Costume party and the contest that would proceed in the later night. They all were a flounder when they began talking about costumes they would wear and the like. It was almost decided within the hour. Bernadette and Howard were going to dress as Superman and Lois Lane. Leonard and Penny were going to be Green Lantern and Hawkgirl. Rajesh and Chance (who had met the group and she was just as pretty as her picture) were going to be Aragorn and Arwen. Sheldon was beside himself as he couldn't decide whether to be Batman, the Flash, or Spock. The group then turned to Kate, smirking at her.

"Who are you going to be?" asked Penny curiously.

"Harley Quinn," said Kate.

"Really?" Howard and Leonard remarked.

"I don't know why you sound so surprised," said Kate.

Sheldon smiled at her and said, "You'll be the only super villain there, Kate."

"Not if you dress as the joker," Kate countered.

"Yeah," laughed Leonard. "Then you'll really be a couple—true to their making."

"I am not the Joker," Sheldon stated. "I don't have bleached skin or the green hair to match. Neither do I have a sense of humor."

"That's true," considered Howard.

Kate looked at Sheldon. "Well, since we're dressing as a couple, you can be Batman."

"Oh, Batman!" Sheldon said, grinning broadly.

"But you can't be Harley Quinn if he's going to be Batman," Howard stated, affronted. "That's like a bad crossover between the Twilight Saga and Harry Potter."

"Then I'll be Catwoman," said Kate. "She's just as awesome and if not equally matched with Harley Quinn. She also fences between good and the bad."

Sheldon smiled at her, and Kate smiled back.

"You know this only goads me into teasing you and Sheldon about how he referred to you as a kitten in the bedroom," Howard pointed out, smirking at the two.

"Let it go, Howard," said Sheldon coldly. "That was a month ago."

"And you two haven't done it in weeks!" Howard exclaimed. "You must be holding back, huh?"

Kate frowned.

"Howard, don't push me. You may be Superman on Thanksgiving but if you keep this up I won't be above tearing you a new one," threatened Kate.

The gang looked at her nervously and Howard folded. She stood.

"Who wants Pizza?" she asked, knowing it was Thursday.

Everyone raised their hands. Kate took the home phone and held it to her ear, taking the orders.


	48. The Jealous DC-Marvel Argument

Chapter 48: The Jealous DC/Marvel Argument

**Author's Note:** I'm sure some people are wondering the month in this story, so I'll tell you analytical peeps that this is November in the story (hence the Thanksgiving Day Costume Party, which I've always wanted to attend). So far, Kate and Sheldon have known each other, now, for two years, and have been living together for half a year (within those two years), to put it in perspective. This is definitely a chapter where we see a new side of Kate, and also Chance becomes one of my favorite OC characters. Tell me what you think about her ;) Also, please pee before reading the story, as this is a long(er) chapter Please, please, please Read and Review.

Kate and the guys were in the comic book store. While Bernadette, Amy, and Penny had settled to be at Penny's apartment, Kate was Sheldon's transportation and therefore had to postpone her promised girls' night to drive him to the comic book store, mainly because it was Wednesday and that's when the new comic books came in.

She wasn't complaining though. She had missed the past three Wednesday comic book nights (Leonard had to take Sheldon) and she was amped to see what Stuart had acquired since her last visit. She was still dwelling over the cardboard figure outside Stuart's store, looking at the Batman with his hands on his utility belt, a fixed expression on his face. Kate smiled at it.

"Pretty life-life, huh?" Stuart's voice was heard behind her.

Kate startled and turned her head, seeing him.

"Oh yes, right—yeah, definitely," said Kate, grinning broadly. She hadn't thought anyone was looking at her. When she glanced past Stuart in the store, she realized that everyone was looking at her, besides Leonard, Sheldon, Raj, and Howard…well, Howard was looking at her, winking actually, but Kate ignored this. She was more traumatized by the fact that ten other geeky guys were staring at her.

"Um…Stuart," said Kate, glancing past him.

Stuart did so and looked at her, smiling.

"Oh yeah—that, they forget there's life outside." Stuart said, shaking his head. "You're a girl, outside the comic book store—kind of a big thing."

"Really?" Kate muttered. She looked back at Batman. "I wonder if that's what you feel when people see you in a cape."

"Sorry?" Stuart voiced again.

"Oh, I was talking to tall, dark, and cardboard-y." Kate reminisced. She looked at Stuart. "So, Amy didn't want to be here?"

"No," Stuart returned. He crossed his arms and a troubling look came to his face. Kate noticed this immediately and she turned from her Dark Knight to look at him.

"What's wrong?"

"Huh?"

Kate gave him a serious look. She crossed her arms and said in a knowing tone, "Don't give that deer-in-a-headlight-look as though you don't think I notice, Stuart. Tell me, what's wrong?"

Stuart licked his lips and shook his head, putting his hand on the back of his neck; he was acting uncomfortably around her. Was that because she was Sheldon's girlfriend and he didn't think she would understand? Or was there something else?

"Stuart?" Kate coaxed.

"Look, I know we don't talk that much," Stuart began. He clasped his hands in front of himself. "I have to know something though."

"Okay," Kate responded slowly. Good grief, she hoped he wasn't going to do what she thought he was going to do.

"What do you and Sheldon talk about?" Stuart blurted. He turned red and Kate did too. It wasn't the question she had expected, thank god, but her surprise had rendered her mortified.

As though he seemed to think she had been offended, Stuart immediately began apologizing, saying it was too personal but Kate shook her head and waved her hands.

"It's not personal," laughed Kate. "You just caught me off guard. So, why do you want to know what we talk about?"

Stuart glanced at the window, looking through at the guys in the store. He seemed to have that affect where he was talking to a nerd and he was the cool guy, and he couldn't be heard talking about whatever he was going to say. Kate got the idea, but wasn't the slightest offended. She had always been the girl that guys went to talk about things—not the sexual things, but the relationship-advice kind of things. Still, Stuart and Amy's relationship was more…oh…different.

"Well," said Stuart. "Part of the reason Ames didn't come here is because she doesn't like comic books. Another reason is that she doesn't like sci-fi…or the movies based on them, or costumes…"

Kate got the idea immediately.

"She's not interested in your job or any interest you have?" said Kate. "And you're wondering what Sheldon and I talk about to know what Amy and Sheldon talked about because they had a relationship?"

Stuart blinked. Kate grinned.

"I may be Sheldon's girlfriend, Stuart, but I'm not as naïve." Kate remarked. "Shit, even Dark Knight Boy here,"—she placed her hand on the Cardboard's what-would-be shoulder and smiled widely—"had issues when he's the billionaire boy."

"Yeah," Stuart muttered, eyeing the pair oddly. He circled back to the conversation. "Anyway, yeah, I was wondering what you and Sheldon talk about."

Kate gave him a gentle smile.

She said, "Stuart, has it ever occurred to you that Sheldon and I have different conversations than he and Amy do?"

"No," said Stuart.

"Why not?" Kate asked, completely stumped.

"You and Amy are smart."

"And you're not?" Kate remarked.

Stuart laughed, clearly flattered and he responded in that tone, "Well, not in that general book-smart. Sure, I've got the knowledge of everything combined as far as comic books, Marvel and DC are combined, but neuro…"

"Neurobiology?" Kate offered.

"Yeah," said Stuart. "All that extra stuff is completely mind-boggling to me."

"Mind-boggling?"

"It's kind of British slang." Stuart explained.

Kate blinked and stated in a matter-of-fact tone, "Amy's trying to get Leonard to be more gangsta and you're becoming a British. If I asked her, do you think she'd make me become more Irish?"

"Irish wouldn't suit you; green isn't your color," Stuart noted.

Kate considered, nodding.

"Anyway," Stuart said. He emitted a little chuckle about how the two of them kept spurring off the subject. "Do you and Sheldon…"

"Stuart," said Kate in a soft sigh. "Let me give you a few pointers about Amy."

"Alright," Stuart returned, clearly eager. Always pleasant to get the inside goods from a woman about a woman—it was clearly the best decision.

"Amy isn't like Sheldon," said Kate. "If anyone is more like Sheldon, it's me. Amy and Sheldon understand the science-y part of things, and I don't. Amy doesn't like science fiction—she thinks it's a lot of nonsense, and she doesn't care for Star Trek, Batman, or anything that Sheldon and I agree about. Amy does like things that Sheldon doesn't like."

"Like what?" Stuart inquired.

"I don't know," said Kate. "Well…" she thought momentarily, "She's sometimes like Penny. She likes girl stuff—shopping for shoes, hanging out with girls…from what I understand, she enjoys chick flicks and drinking."

Stuart shrugged, considering the suggestions. He looked at Kate.

"So what drove her and Sheldon apart? I don't want to make the same mistake," Stuart stated seriously.

Kate understood.

"Amy told me that she couldn't get through to Sheldon, as far as physical intimacy goes."

"But you did," Stuart stated, pointing to her. "You managed to do that."

"I did," said Kate. "But you also have to take into consideration that the only reason you all know about it is because Howard and Leonard walked in on us, in my bedroom, none the less, and spread the gossip."

"It's not gossip, if it was true."

"Err regardless," Kate stated coolly. She crossed her arms and said, "Since then, however, Sheldon and I have not touched each other, i.e. hand-holding, a simple poke, or anything."

"A month then?" Stuart guessed.

"Give or take a day," Kate confirmed.

"That's a long time."

"Only if you count in physical time," said Kate with a wry smile. "In my mind, I've touched him more than twenty occasions today." To prove a point, or maybe for sheer pleasure, she glanced through the store at Sheldon who was flipping through a Flash magazine. Kate turned her eyes to Stuart, who was watching her curiously.

" 'Ours is only a relationship of the mind'," Kate stated.

"That sounds like something Sheldon would say," Stuart noted.

"You're correct; it was." Kate remarked. "And I meet him halfway."

"Well, Amy and I have the physical part."

"So what's the problem, G?" Kate remarked.

" 'G'?"

"Sorry," Kate said, laughing. "I tried speaking like a gangsta like Leonard; I think he does it better than me."

"So if you had the physical part—and I hope I'm not breaking boundaries here—then why are you worried about breaking it with Amy? I mean, you two are together all the time—well, not here, but that's obvious. If you already made it with her, why worry?" Kate questioned.

Stuart shrugged and said, "It's hard to say. I like Amy; she's smart, pretty…"

"Funny, sweet, kind, caring?" Kate automatically suggested.

"Yeah," Stuart said, slightly perturbed by her mind reading. "How did you know I was going to say that?"

"Because all guys describe their love interest in that fashion," Kate stated, "when you all do it in the same exact order in the same dreamy tone, it's easy to memorize." She grinned and said, "Want to impress Amy, Stuart? If she ever asks 'why do you want to be with me' or something similar, say something other than 'you're smart, pretty, funny, sweet, kind, and caring."

"Why?" Stuart remarked. "Isn't that going to make her feel bad?"

"I didn't say, 'say something exactly the opposite'. The way and words you guys say it is pretty bland and general—that's how I knew what you were going to say," said Kate. She looked at him and said, "Tell her: 'You're intelligent, vivacious, humorous, generous, words that aren't used in everyday life."

"Or read her a poem?" Stuart suggested, half-heartedly.

"No," Kate said.

"Why?" Stuart gasped. "I thought you girls like that kind of crap."

"_I _like that kind of crap. _Bernadette_, _Priya,_ _Chance_, and maybe _I _would like that kind of crap," Kate said. "Amy isn't like most girls, Stuart. Give her a Relationship Agreement."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Kate remarked. She threw up her hands and said, "When Sheldon gave me the Roommate-Relationship Agreement for me to become co-signatory, I practically gushed."

"Why?"

"I don't know," stated Kate whole-heartedly. She smirked and said, "Maybe it's a sign of commitment."

"Or insanity," reminded Stuart, leaning towards her with cue suggestion.

"So call the white coats," Kate stated. She put her arms around the neck of the Dark Knight cardboard and said lovingly to it, "We'll share a padded cell together."

"Batman wouldn't be in a padded cell," Stuart stated.

Kate looked at him, saying, "If he and the Joker became friends, he would."

Stuart gave her a weird look and Kate let go of the cardboard, shaking her head and wringing her hands.

"Oh god, you're so right," Kate whispered. "I very well may be insane. What the hell am I thinking: 'The Joker and Batman will be lifelong friends.'"

Stuart laughed and said, "I know, that's so stupid."

"God," Kate muttered. She looked into the store. "I better get inside where things are more realistic and plausible." She entered the comic book store, and noticed that there was another woman there. She had black hair, which was permed and cut to the nape of her neck. Her skin was milky white and her eyes were bright blue, similar to Kate's bright emeralds.

Beside this woman was Rajesh who had his right arm wrapped around her shoulders and the woman's left arm was around his waist. Stuart and Kate entered the store to the center and when Kate saw this woman, she screamed, "CHANCE!" and sped over to where Sheldon, Leonard, Howard, 'CHANCE', and Raj stood.

Hearing her alleged name, the black-haired woman turned and seeing Kate, she met the same speed with her American accent, shouting, "KATE!" The girls bumped into each other and hugged one another tightly.

Chance let go first then Kate. The girls were about medium height while Kate had a heel or so above her.

"I heard you were sick," Chance said, automatically apologizing, "I'm sorry I didn't go see you. Sheldon wouldn't let me near you though."

Kate glanced from the black-haired beauty to Sheldon, who was intentionally concentrating hard on his Flash magazine, although his face slightly twitched in his efforts to not look at Kate. Raj glanced at Sheldon and snickered.

Despite the inference, Kate looked back at Chance.

"I wouldn't worry about it; I was probably asleep," said Kate.

"You _were _asleep," Sheldon finally folded. He lowered his comic book and said plainly, "In my defense, you had not slept in two days and the moment you fell asleep, two minutes later, that woman was going…"

"I was not going in!" Chance remarked.

Sheldon waited until she had no retort left and said quickly, "To interrupt your much-needed REM sleep and I forbade it."

"Forbiddeded it," Raj corrected.

"Not he's right," Chance voiced.

"Are you sure that's how it sounds?" said Raj. He looked at her. "I think it's 'forbiddedd it'."

"Forbade," Chance persisted.

"Forbaded it?" Raj suggested.

Chance gave him a look, her intense gaze made him raise up his hands (including the Batman comic he held) and he said quickly, "Okay, fine! You're right, sorry!"

Leonard smirked and said to Sheldon in an undertone, "Where's the whip app when you need it?"

"The last I checked it was still on the android market," Sheldon replied seriously. He gave Leonard an interesting look, adding, "I'm surprised you couldn't know that."

"You are?" Howard said, leaning forward. "Sheldon Cooper's surprised. News flash!" He held up hands dramatically.

"You're right, Howard." Sheldon said, looking at him. He immediately glanced at Leonard and said arrogantly, "I'm not surprised; it's to be expected."

Raj and Howard snickered as Leonard glared at the three of them. Meanwhile, Kate and Chance were still in the center of the store. Despite their conversational jibber jabber, the men around them—or what looked like men but could have been ghosts finally ascending from the basements of their mothers' houses—were in idle gawk as the two beautiful women conversed in the middle of a comic book store.

"I've not seen you in forever!" Kate exclaimed. "I read your tweets!"

"I read yours!" Chance squealed. She said in a serious tone, "Raj took me to your place. You know, at first we couldn't find the right address."

"Yeah, Sheldon took the '2' off the street's address and he's never put it back," explained Kate casually.

Chance gave her an odd look and said, "Why did he…?"

"Long story short; he didn't want to be found," said Kate. "That's when he and Amy were still not-together."

"Right," Chance remarked. "I met Amy; lovely girl."

"Indeed."

"Quite," Chance exchanged, at which point, the girls silently giggled at the 'Gilmore Girl'-like dialogue.

"So," Chance breathed, she crossed her arms. "I meant to ask you about Sheldon."

"What's to ask?" Kate returned, raising her hands up shoulder-height as though she could care less as to what Chance had to wonder—or, rather, what all there wasn't to wonder about Sheldon.

Chance seemed to receive the idea that Kate and Sheldon were compatible enough that Kate didn't care too much about what people thought of him.

"You know what I find weird?" said Chance.

"Besides the fact that we've not had a luncheon in two years despite our closely living situations, what's weird?" Kate offered.

"Well, you're right about that; we've been postponing that lunch for a long time," said Chance in a matter-of-fact tone. Kate noticed that her accent had a curve to it—it wasn't quite American but a little Indian; Raj was rubbing off on her.

"It's not just that," said Chance. She glanced in no given direction but whispered carefully, "I have a feeling we're being watched."

Kate glanced and saw that the guys around (except _the_ guys) were ogling, befuddled of their presence.

"Yeah, you get used to it after a while." Kate remarked. "When I came here for the first time, I think two guys had a heart attack and one had to use their emergency inhaler."

Chance smirked and nudged Kate's elbow saying, "Makes ya feel good, doesn't it?"

"Yeah," agreed Kate. "That is until the ambulance comes. I felt a little guilty after that. Then I bought a Batman comic book and felt good." She smirked and said, "I wonder how much Stuart would let me purchase that Batman cardboard figure out there."

Chance shook her head.

"You're pathetic," she uttered. She walked over to where Raj and them were looking through the intensely categorized, some illuminated, comic books. They were thumbing through; Howard and Raj stood on one side while Sheldon and Leonard stood on the other.

When Chance joined Raj's side, Kate noticed that Raj's attention turned from the comic books to Chance.

"Hello, my Princess Preach," Raj said seductively to her, taking her into his arms and planting a deep kiss on her lips. Chance grinned broadly. Apparently, she was not afraid or disgusted by PDA, in fact, she seemed to relish it.

Kate stood on the shorter side of the rectangular box that held the holy comic book collection and was between Chance/Raj and Sheldon. She didn't expect the egregious interaction from Sheldon; to do so was for sake of embarrassment and disappointment; Kate didn't expect it from Sheldon, nor encourage the matter. She was more or less enthused when he just simply withdrew a comic from the neatly categorized row and handed it to her, without even so much as acknowledging her presence.

Curious, Kate took the comic—she felt a small shock from her fingertips to her lower abdomen when her thumb touched his index finger—and wordlessly looked at the front cover.

As though she received another shock—except this one was from adrenaline-rushing, estrogen-pumping excitement. She merely squealed in ecstatic happiness and said, while pointing to the comic's front cover, "OH MY GOD, IT'S THE ISSUE WHERE JOKER AND BATMAN HAVE TO WORK TOGETHER TO STOP A COMMON ENEMY IN OVERTAKING GOTHAM CITY, _OH MY GOD_, SHELDON, _WHERE DID YOU FIND IT!"_

Her reaction, no less, sent nervous and frightening faces to all who was around her, namely, Leonard, Howard, Chance, Raj, and Sheldon, for they had never seen Kate squeal (and how like a girl, too) and jump up and down, up and down, her face becoming a ting of pink.

"It's a gift," said Sheldon alarmed. He seemed to settle down a little more when Kate herself had relaxed, but her feet still did a little jig. "When you gave me the minted box of the three Batarangs signed by Christian Bale, Heath Ledger, and Christopher Nolan, you immediately had given me an obligation to exchange the same item in equal importance and value, also correlating our friendship, and, interchangeably, the relationship."

Kate breathed deeply. Sheldon glanced at her in alarm; he expected her to hug and kiss him which had been Amy's reaction when he had bought her the tiara as an apologetic present but Kate seemed more in control (one would think otherwise after seeing her frightening disposition of pure girlish happiness). For she merely smiled at him and said happily, "Thank you, Sheldon."

"You're welcome," Sheldon said.

Howard then asked, "What the frack?" He glanced between Sheldon and Kate.

Chance looked at Howard and Raj and said, "What the hell is wrong with you two, making up words? Frack? Forbidded, Forbadded?" She shrugged and said, "The last I checked, it was 'Forbade' and 'what the fuck'."

At her obscene language, Sheldon gave her a cold stare and said, "That's your first warning."

"My first _warning_?" Chance remarked coolly.

Raj chuckled nervously and put his hand on her shoulder, saying, "Oh, by the way, Peaches, Sheldon has a…uh…Howard,"—Raj turned to his right-hand man—"Would you care to explain…"

"No way," Howard immediately answered. "She's your girlfriend. I had to explain to Bernie about Sheldon's wack-system, now you do your own time." Howard looked at Leonard. "What's this guy thinkin'?"

Leonard shook his head; he'd already done his time as well, with Penny's banishment and foretold immeasurable war.

Sheldon, obviously, saw no harm in what he'd done or said as he resumed his flipping through comic books. Kate turned to him.

"Sheldon, she's not been briefed yet," Kate told him gently.

"No excuse," Sheldon replied.

"I'll be damned," Chance muttered.

"Second warning," Sheldon remarked.

Chance glared at him, but seeing that Raj, Leonard, and Howard were almost dancing in their pants for the sake of Chance not getting a third warning, Chance backed off.

"I have to say, Kate," Chance stated, glancing between Kate and Sheldon. "You really have won yourself a prize. The next thing I expect is for him to tell me how DC is better than Marvel."

"Although I have no real preference for one over the other," Sheldon exchanged, "I do think DC is more preferable to Marvel."

Kate smirked at him; aw, he just became more attractive.

"Bullsh—"

"Babe…" Raj insisted.

"—shnickies…" Chance ended abruptly.

"Fine," said Chance. "I may not be able to use my mouth…"

"As obscene as it may be," Sheldon interjected, while Kate, afterwards, hissed, "Sheldon!"

"…I can still tell you why Marvel is better than DC."

Sheldon sighed and looked at Chance, remarking dully, "Fine. _Dazzle _me."

Chance opened her mouth in obvious offense. She glared at Raj and said hatefully, "No wonder you can't live with him more for more than a few weeks; he's ridiculous!"

"Now, honey bun," Raj smoothed, "you know he's my friend. I may not agree with everything he says"—at this, he gave Sheldon an obvious scolding look and then returned his loving eyes to his girlfriend—"but I consider him a good friend. So, do what Howard, Leonard, Penny, Bernadette, Amy, Stuart, and…well…obviously everyone else but Kate does when he starts getting on your nerves."

"What's that?" Chance inquired.

"Ignore him and think of puppies," Raj said, grinning broadly.

Chance smiled and kissed his cheek, saying, "You're my puppy."

"I am," Raj admitted. "I'm brown, cute, and cuddly."

"Oh, good grief," Sheldon muttered. He walked away and began looking at other sections of the comic book store, anywhere, if needed, to get away from the now, kissing, couple of chocolate and pistachios. Howard and Leonard glanced at each other, but then followed suit with Sheldon.

Kate looked at Raj and Chance for a moment.

"Really, you guys?" Kate voiced.

"What?" Raj said, breaking the kiss.

"You have to do that in public?" Kate stated, looking at them.

"Where else would we do it?" Raj replied.

"I have ideas," Chance sniggered.

Kate frowned.

"I'd rather you do it where no one else has to see it," Kate stated.

"No one _has _seen it," Raj pointed out. "Even if they did, Chance would be the only one here who—"

"I don't want to know that!" Kate exclaimed. "God, she's my friend for Christ's sake! It's like talking about Priya when you two are about to go to bed!"

"Oh god, that woman!" Chance remarked. She suddenly broke from Raj's embrace, to Raj's disappointment. "You know the hell I had to put up with—she was all pissed and shit about how Raj and I can be together but she and Leonard can't."

"She wasn't pissed," Raj remarked. "She's always like that."

"Yeah," Kate added. "And it wasn't because of you and Raj; it's because Penny and Leonard got back together after Penny admitted to him that she had the same feelings. It took a little longer than expected but it's still remains to be seen."

"You're wrong, Kate," Raj remarked. "My parents are mad about how Chance and I are together. But we've consoled the Hindu gods and I think in the next life, we'll be the two hedges of broccoli intertwined by one stalk." He smiled dreamily and Chance smiled at him in the same way.

Kate stared at the two.

"So, let me get this straight," said Kate coolly. "You prayed to a livestock idol and said that you two were probably, more or less, going to die together and your love would conquer everything Raj's parents had to say, and you're okay with that?"

"Yeah," said chance. "What's different between Puppy and I, and Leonard and Penny is that Dr. Koothrappalli actually likes me. He thinks I'm fiery." At this, Chance made a body movement that made Kate think of Shakira.

"See?" Raj said, smiling. "Who wouldn't love that?"

"I could only imagine," Kate muttered. She turned away when the two started sucking face again.

She walked over to the Batman-specified comics and looked at them all, her eyes hungry for more information, more bloody violence, particularly Joker related, or ones where he and Harley Quinn were mainly featured. If she couldn't be Harley Quinn, she'd find one where she was the star.

Kate was so intensely grabbed by the comics that when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she screamed, "HOLY CRAPPERS BATMAN!"

She turned and reddened in the face, neck, and ears, when Sheldon stood behind her; he was equally surprised, but didn't have the paralleled mortification.

"Sorry," said Kate, brushing a blonde lock of hair from her face. "You freaked me out."

"I apologize." Sheldon said. "I didn't mean to… 'freak'…you out."

Kate smiled; his pronunciation of her usage of the word made her smile. Everything he did made her smile.

"You're fine," said Kate. She cleared her throat and said with recovery, "What were you originally going to say before I…"

"Freaked out?" Sheldon finished.

"Yeah," said Kate.

Sheldon held the purchased Flash comic (he'd been looking at for a good twenty minutes before even remotely considering the idea of purchasing) and was looking at her with discomfort. Kate no doubt knew this was from Chance's disruption of general cleanliness of comic book conversation.

"I've come to question the importance of having Chance Briar join the sentimental group of friends we've acquired through the year," said Sheldon quietly.

"Why are you talking quietly?" Kate asked.

"I'm attempting a private conversation in spite of our rather public interference," said Sheldon in the same quiet tone. He indicated the geeks around, who were _still_ staring at Chance and Kate with wonder, and the friends around them.

"Alright," said Kate. She lowered her voice, to a point where her low register became almost seductive, "To answer your question, Sheldon, the importance is viable."

"Meaning?" Sheldon replied.

"Meaning," said Kate with a stern emphasis, "She's been a friend of mine for years, personally, physically, and not just the internet-connected form that is Facebook and Twitter, or MySpace. I've known her all my life, as children to the present."

"I wasn't referring to your past relationships," said Sheldon in a normal tone. Apparently, he'd lost his need for privacy. "It's obvious she's unable to control her obscene language; according to my mother, if one curses, it makes Jesus cry."

Kate gave him a look that was most sarcastic, so as such that Sheldon seemed to understand it. Or it may have been that he and Kate were so connected at this point that he could have read her mind.

"I know; I think it's hokum as well but what's the point in arguing with mothers, when the result is inevitably futile?" Sheldon replied. He then stated reasonably, "One can't argue with the logic that's intended. You can't tell me you deny that Dr. Briar has a potty mouth."

"It's hard to believe, Sheldon, but I used to be that way," returned Kate.

"I do find that unbelievable, and I reject the possibility of it having happened at all," Sheldon said sternly. "Let's circle back to the conversation at hand, shall we? My suggestion, or rather, request, is permeable to change, considering you do have a say in it, I suppose, as you are, not only my girlfriend, but the roommate. However, does Chance really need to be a part of our fair-weather Round Table?"

"Round Table?"

It was Sheldon's turn to give Kate the sarcastic look as he stated, "Oh please, Kate, even you know that I'm the most certified to be King Arthur."

"Certifiable, maybe," Kate said pointedly. "And the answer is 'yes'. Chance is my childhood friend. And you may disagree with her at some point…"

"At some point?" Sheldon repeated. "I'm sorry, but did you hear that woman? She's replaced Penny as my polar opposite!"

"Don't yell at me," Kate said sternly.

"I'm sorry," Sheldon immediately returned, lowering his head. "But, still…"

"I know," Kate said. "I can talk to her."

"Thank you." Sheldon said.

"You're welcome."

Sheldon and Kate ended up waiting in the Batmobile-like automobile that Kate had purchased in replacement of the car that had not only been hijacked but found scrapped in a work shop owned and ran by meddlesome teenagers. Sheldon was still enthusiastic as he was, in his fantasy, sitting in the Batmobile.

"Were you still going to dress as Catwoman?" Sheldon asked, glancing at her.

"What?"

"Were you still going to dress as Catwoman for the Thanksgiving Costume party at the comic book store?" Sheldon replied, although a little more specific.

"Yes. Why?"

"From what I understand, women are prone to being indecisive when dressing and make-up is concerned, especially for a social convention where there are numerous guests and men floating about," said Sheldon. "It was scientifically proven that women are generally prone to doing so, regarding appearance and shapely formation."

Kate laughed.

"Why are you laughing?" Sheldon remarked, turning his head to her.

"Why would I change my costume from Catwoman to something else if you were going to be Batman?" asked Kate curiously.

"I don't know. You tell me." Sheldon said seriously.

"I'm not changing," said Kate. "Unlike some women, I stay with my decision."

"I disagree. In five minutes you conceded to being Catwoman when you originally were going to be Harley Quinn, Joker's faithful accomplice, and henchwoman. If that's not an indecisive decision, it baffles me as to what others remain in the future." Sheldon theorized, turning his head to look at the comic book store. "I'm surprised you didn't negotiate a price for that Batman cardboard figure."

"What?"

Sheldon looked at her again and said, "I have Vulcan hearing, Kate. I heard you and Stuart talking outside the comic book store. Honestly, you should have lowered your voices."

Kate looked at him.

"Why were you eavesdropping?"

"That's the wrong idea," said Sheldon. "I was hearing—it was indicative of having accidentally come upon your conversation rather than intentionally spying." He gave Kate a hurtful look and added reproachfully, "I, above all else, understand the value and conception of privacy; I figured you'd have already known that."

"Hm," Kate uttered. She put her chin on the steering wheel, her hands forming a pillow. "I wonder what's taking them forever."

Sheldon looked at her.

"You truly wonder, or are you voicing conversational pieces?"

"I truly wonder," Kate returned. She paused and turned to him. "Sheldon."

"Yes, Kate?"

"What did you and Amy talk about when you two were together?"

Sheldon gave her a perplexed gaze and when Kate didn't specify, he licked his lips casually; his hands which had been rested on his knees, clasped together.

"Your question is broad and very vague, Kate. At which point of time, day, situation and circumstance following are you referring?" said Sheldon. "Amy and I have spoken for years. Unless you're referring to ideal topics or generalized conversation, I can't particularly describe those matters, and it would be tedious to do so. I do, however, keep a social log which I've titled 'Sheldon's log' in substitute for 'Captain's Log'; you've more than earned my permission to glance through those pages."

Kate smiled.

"I'm referring to generalization," she said. "Stuart asked me about Amy and you because he's…"

"Kate, I listened to the entire conversation," Sheldon said tiredly. "To tell me what it was about is wasting time and breath. I think you're attempting to effortlessly walk me through given circumstantial events which Stuart has brought up in order to segue to your desired topic, and since I've already figured it out, I think it's just easier for the both of us if you zoom right in to your subject of conversation."

Kate blinked. Sometimes, Sheldon would surprise her at the most interesting times. Still, she was relieved that she didn't have to explain.

"All right." Kate said. She looked at him and said, "Are there times when you want to go back to Amy, rather than be with me?"

Sheldon stared at her. So maybe he was wrong (not admitting it though) that he should have waited for Kate to explain. He'd keep that in mind for future pretenses.

"Kate," said Sheldon. "That's a bit inappropriate, don't you think?"

"No," said Kate boldly. "Being your girlfriend, Sheldon, I think it's very appropriate."

"Elaborate."

"Very well," said Kate. "Stuart and Amy are together and Stuart says that he has trouble relating with Amy on an emotional level, regarding interests and such, but they have everything controlled on the surface, where physical intimacy is concerned. While talking to Stuart, I mentioned that Amy's a little more…"

Kate faded away and she bit her lip as she couldn't finish her sentence. Sheldon, however, was not as his best at this point, not so perceptive as he was a few seconds ago. He waited for her to continue.

"Okay," said Kate awkwardly. "Amy is like Penny. She likes shopping, and dressing, and shoes, and likes to go out for a drink." She waited for Sheldon to have an epiphany but his expression was one that was lost.

"So," continued Kate, "she also has neurobiology. She gets the science-y stuff that you and her normally webcam about and she understands your job better than I ever could."

Sheldon smiled, apparently understanding.

"I can only theorize from what you're telling me, Kate, but let me hypothesize," said Sheldon. He cleared his throat and said, "Your symptoms of slighted embarrassment and awkward speech of my ex-girlfriend must be impending a certain jealousy or lack of confidence from the connection she and I had and the apparent lacking you and I have."

Kate stared at him.

"By your expression, I'm correct," Sheldon stated.

"Yeah," said Kate quietly. "I don't know anything about what you do, except that you're breaking grounds in connecting String Theory to the overall dynamics of Physics, which, when connected, will achieve the Nobel Peace Prize. Other than that, I'm completely lost. And I know squat about Star Trek."

"That can be remedied," Sheldon suggested.

Kate smiled gently and said, "I know. But the thing is, when you talk about science or physics—and I love it when you do, by all means—I don't know the specifics. So far, in the year we've been friends and the half-year we've been together, I only know a spare amount."

Sheldon nodded and said curiously, "What's your point?"

"My point is this: Do you wish to be with Amy Farrah Fowler sometimes because she knows about your work and the scientific terminology it accompanies? Do you wish to be with her because she was your first girlfriend, whereas I am…you know…second?"

Sheldon furrowed his eyebrows in curiosity, as well as befuddlement. Kate's heart wrenched; he was looking at her in the similar way he looked at a math/science problem at home—utter concentration, never-breaking.

"I don't know why," began Sheldon in a low voice, "but for some reason, I wonder why your tone and voice reflects humiliation and turmoil at being my second girlfriend."

Kate's face burned brick red.

"Yeah," said Kate.

"Kate," began Sheldon. He bent his left knee and turned to her completely, body and all. "Are you ashamed of being with me romantically?"

"No!" Kate exclaimed, turning to him the same way except if he'd done it as quickly, he might have sprained a limb. "I'm not by any means ashamed. I just…"

"Just what?"

"Sheldon, you're a genius. Are you telling me that I have to directly say it?" Kate implored.

Sheldon smiled slightly at her flattering first sentence but he then became even more curious at the last part. What did she have to say? What did he not understand? Kate shook her head and with her hands over her face she muttered, "I'm jealous of Amy."

"Jealous?" repeated Sheldon incredulously. "On what grounds are you to be jealous?"

"I don't know," Kate muttered. She dropped her hands. "I've never been jealous of anyone."

"So why start now?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm not _choosing_ to be jealous," Kate said quietly. She looked at him. "She was the first person to be your girlfriend. She's the first that you connected with, and I'm just second. Second best, second rate, second everything."

Sheldon stared at her. He hoped to whatever deity that existed that Kate wasn't going to get all weepy. Weepy women made him uncomfortable.

"How did you come across this theory?" Sheldon asked.

Kate looked at him and said, "When Stuart was talking to me. He was talking about how he thought he wasn't smart enough. He and Amy have no real interests, but he's going to tell Amy how they can connect, which means trying out their interests."

"And this led you to feel jealous about Amy?" said Sheldon. "I'm sorry, but that's completely illogical. There's no rationality between those variables."

Kate rolled her eyes.

"Sheldon, aside from the science I understand, I know crap about your job, what's on the boards, or really, everything you do at work. I don't understand half the demonstrations or experiments you and guys partake in. I feel like…"

"Like whom?" Sheldon asked.

"I feel like Penny," Kate murmured. "When you talk about physics, I think it's beautiful. You have a beautiful mind, and you know everything. All I know is medical terminology and how to properly remove a kidney. What's the smarts in that?"

Sheldon stared at her.

"I cannot believe what I'm hearing," Sheldon scolded. "You're a decorated Surgeon with the credentials of two surgeons and a nurse combined. From here and now on, I forbid you to talk to Stuart about Amy; for all I understand, it's that very conversation that's replaced a confident, brilliant surgeon with whatever's sitting in that seat." Sheldon pointed to where Kate sat.

"You don't get it, Sheldon!" Kate snapped. "Compared to you, I'm a community college graduate. Aside from Batman and the DC world and video games and paintball, what do we have in common? What else do we talk about other than that?"

Sheldon stared at her. He hadn't seen Kate's emotional vulnerability. It was a little frightening, albeit, alarming. Even worse, Kate was starting to get emotional. He could see the starting of a weepy Kate, and that was something he just didn't want to witness.

"Kate," began Sheldon.

"What."

"Let me place an interesting perspective on this situation," said Sheldon. Kate looked at him. "Yes, Amy understands more about what I do than you. Yes, our given history provides a certain familiar ground on which people tend to stand on more than once in a lifetime. I've watched Leonard and Penny do the whole rope-de-rope and to be quite honest, it's rather befuddling and very exhausting."

"What's your point, Sheldon?" Kate said. "You're not exactly making me feel better."

Sheldon licked his lips quickly, hoping that this time he could make her see rationality, rather than the female emotion-based logic she was only able to see for the present.

"All right, let me put it to you this way. Whereas Amy and Stuart are together, you and I are together. From my understanding, us being a couple only renders the past relationships moot, as the present trumps past. If given the situation that Amy and Stuart do separate, because according to your statement the two are having a connection conflict, I will not—to put it modernly—'go back' to Amy." Sheldon said. "The reason being, I've not only signed a contract disabling that right, I believe that you and I have a deeper understanding of each other—living, wise."

"Living, wise?" Kate repeated.

"Under our conditions, Kate, you and I are roommates," reminded Sheldon. "You are more like me than Amy, by extension, our interests and living conditions are similar."

"But your work," said Kate. "I don't understand more than half of what you do."

Sheldon smiled and said, "Understandable. You're not a doctor of Science. I don't understand why you do the job you do; it's risky in transferable of germs and pathogens that are regularly killing people as we speak."

"But Amy's your first girlfriend. How can I compete with that?" Kate complained, frowning.

Sheldon shook his head, saying, "You females with wanting to be first in everything. I will never understand it." When Kate still frowned, he recovered, saying, "All right, think about it this way, Kate. Amy was my first girlfriend by extension of the dating site's scientific compatibility."

"Not making me feel any better," Kate stated.

"Well, that may be a result of you not letting me finish my comforting reasonability," Sheldon replied, slightly affronted.

"Sorry."

"You're forgiven," Sheldon said immediately. "As I was saying, Amy was my first girlfriend by extension of the dating site's scientific compatibility while you and I met via MySpace, Twitter, and then later, Facebook."

"How's that different?" Kate interjected coolly.

"Kate, you're a very bright woman for your age and stature, I thought you might get the reason implied," Sheldon condescended.

"I'm feeling vulnerable, here, Sheldon." Kate said. "My implying skills are suffering a little."

"Very well," said Sheldon. "Amy and I met under the circumstances that Howard and Rajesh had deceived me into meeting her with Raj blackmailing me with a dirty, elusive sock he hid in my apartment, and you and I met willingly by—dare I say it—coincidence." Sheldon slightly shuddered at the last word, but Kate was smiling.

"It's not entirely coincidence; you and I scheduled it," Kate said.

"Point taken," said Sheldon. "I'm more entertained by those odds than the those I theorized."

"Agreed," said Kate. She leaned forward and kissed Sheldon lightly on the lips. She felt the churning in her stomach and the burning between her legs, her body begging for more, but she wouldn't pass Sheldon's limit. She had to give him leeway after all, he'd over all confessed that if Amy and Stuart broke up, he'd still be with Kate, despite the past.

To her surprise however, when she drew back, his hand moved behind to the nape of her neck and moved her mouth to his so she kissed him again. He kissed her back, and the fire within her body burned hotter. Kate parted her lips just barely and she felt extreme happiness when she felt his tongue lick her bottom lip.

Then they heard the doors of the car/Batmobile open. Kate and Sheldon immediately lashed back to their seats, but their faces burned a bright shade of pink. They looked away from each other.

"DC is _so_ much better!" Howard argued as he climbed in the back. Howard and Raj sat in the middle while Leonard sat against the left car door beside Howard, and Chance was on the right beside Raj and the car door.

"Wrong," Chance stated.

"Leonard!" Howard implored. "Tell her, that Batman would so win against Iron Man!"

"I don't think so; Iron Man is smart."

"So is Batman!" Howard snapped. "He builds his own car and his bat cave, has those gadgets…"

"You're an idiot, Wolowitz," Chance retorted. "Bruce doesn't build the gadgets; Fox does. If you knew your comic books so well, you wouldn't have said something so moronic."

Howard looked indifferent and said with one last hope, "Bruce Wayne has all the girls!"

"So does Tony," Chance retorted. "Everything Bruce has, Tony has. Iron Man is mechanical rather than Batman is just a man in a cape—ergo, Iron Man is the man, man."

Howard was turning red and he said, "Batman has the batmobile!"

"Iron Man can fly!"

"Batman has Robin!" Howard snapped.

"Iron Man doesn't need a sidekick," Chance retorted.

"Well—I—eh—See…" Howard began but he looked as though he could only spit out a few words here and there. He seemed lacking in options so he turned to the last resort. "Kate, help me out here!"

Kate looked around at Chance and said, "I love Batman therefore no matter what you say, Batman will be better than Iron Man, ergo, DC will always trump Marvel."

"That's not a valid reason," Chance stated.

"Doesn't have to be," Sheldon replied immediately.

Chance was about to retort but Raj shook his head and said, "Let it go, babe."

Chance opened her mouth to argue with _that_ but then Raj kissed her cheek and she merely forgot whatever insult she was ready to spill and kissed Raj back with a deeper one.


	49. The Interrupting Exasperation

Chapter Forty-Nine: The Interrupting Exasperation

**Author's Note**: Please leave reviews as I have a hard night ahead of me and will no doubt be in a bad mood the following morning; it'll also urge me to keep writing. Love ya!

Kate drove down the streets of Pasadena, her eyes fixed on the road. She was recovering from the kiss she'd received from Sheldon, unexpected and a little more passion than what she'd been used to. Her face had managed to stop burning but it didn't take out the discernible detail that she and Sheldon had been engaging in the activity before Chance and Howard had indirectly interrupted it with their furious argument of Iron Man VS Batman.

Raj and Chance had stopped kissing when the Batmobile stopped at a stop sign. Today was Wednesday so inevitably, along with Comic Book night, she was obliged to get Chinese. She turned left instead of right, which was the correct street to pursue when one was going to home. Sheldon noticed this and looked at Kate curiously.

"What are you doing?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm hitting two birds with one stone," Kate replied, steering the wheel towards the destination. She shifted gears simultaneously.

"I was under the impression that we were going back home," Sheldon stated. "Also, what I've learned from my driver's handbook is that when you shift, you should do so on a straight road, not in the middle of a curve."

Kate glanced at him.

"Circumstantial," said Kate. She drove down the street. "And we will go home, just as soon as I get the Chinese."

"Chinese?" Chance voiced from the back. She looked at Raj. "Who decided we'd get Chinese?"

"It's Wednesday," said Kate before Sheldon opened his mouth to explain. "Wednesdays we go to the Comic book store and then afterwards, we get Chinese food."

Sheldon smiled; Kate knew his schedule and she practically memorized it. To him, Kate knew this was not only good but in his own way, he viewed this to be very attractive. While Kate and Sheldon shared a smile, Chance was looking incredulously between Raj, Howard, and Leonard, who seemed to just accept this as a statement rather than an argumentative fact. Chance leaned past Raj, who smirked when Chance's shirt rose to reveal a flawless backside.

"We?" said Chance ironically. "Who's 'we'?"

Sheldon turned to look at her.

"All of us," Leonard said quickly. He looked at Raj with annoyance and said, "You didn't tell her about Sheldon?"

"I did," Raj stated. He took out a flask from the back of his jeans and drank a large gulp, after which he added in a quieter voice, "I just didn't tell her about the craziness."

"Raj, be quiet for a moment," Chance said, looking at him. "Sheldon, I'm not exactly in the mood for Chinese."

"It doesn't matter what you're in the mood for," said Sheldon factitiously. "Every Wednesday is Chinese food day."

"Are you serious?" Chance replied. "Why not get pizza?"

"Pizza's for Thursday," Sheldon returned. He looked at Kate and said dismissively, "Amateurs. When we get back home, I ought to print off a copy of the schedule, shouldn't I?"

"Are you crazy?" Chance stated curiously.

"No," Sheldon said. "I'm not crazy, my mother had me tested."

"Evidently, she didn't bother with the other doctors in, oh I don't know, the rest of the world." Chance retorted. She frowned and said to Kate, "I'm not exactly above Chinese food but I prefer salad, just saying."

"Salad?" said Howard. He looked at her. "Honey, you're as skinny and gorgeous like Kate here, or Penny, or my lovely Bernadette. You don't need salads."

"Howard, she's not talking about her figure," said Raj, at which point he grinned broadly at Chance and said with a seductive manner, "She's curvy and I like that." He then looked at Kate and said, "It's a religious request."

"Religious request?" Kate repeated, looking at the rearview mirror to see Chance. "When did you suddenly become religious?"

"It's not sudden," Chance returned. "I've always been halfway to the point of being a Buddhist. The fact remains is that I've become completely converted."

"Why would that make a difference about eating Chinese food?" asked Leonard, glancing at Chance curiously.

"Buddhists think that every sentient being has a place in life. One only eats the animals for necessary living." Chance stated as though she'd repeated this a thousand times. "Not only that, but we seek enlightenment, and believe that there's such a thing as reincarnation."

"Pure hokum," Sheldon muttered. He turned to Kate and said, "Do you believe that?"

"Believe in what?" Kate remarked but Chance had completely ignored Kate's question and glared at Sheldon.

"_Hokum_?" Chance snapped angrily.

"Yes," returned Sheldon. He looked at her pointedly and said, "Reincarnation, as is Karma and coincidences, is hokum; Superstitious nonsense that has exceeded centuries for those who want to believe something beyond their existence."

"Oh my god," Chance said, shaking her head. She glared at him. "Do you really think that everything you say is right?"

"Don't!" Howard, Raj, and Leonard called altogether but Sheldon turned his head from Kate, who was biting her lip as though Chance had made the wrong move, and in doing so, Chance smirked at Sheldon.

"I don't think so; I know so," Sheldon responded vainly.

"Well, you're wrong," Chance challenged. "You have no right to say anything about my religion. Just because you don't have one gives you no way to disapprove of my own."

"No, you're wrong," Sheldon stated, pointing at her. "You may want a salad or some other vegetation you and your religion call 'food' but today is Chinese food day, and by no means are you relinquishing that precedent on the fact you choose to eat garnishes instead of cultured dishes."

Raj looked at Sheldon defensively and said, "Dude, she's still my girlfriend!"

"Just as well," Sheldon replied, unaffected. "You're more than welcome to eat her custom foods as well but we're still having Chinese food, aren't we, Kate?" He looked at her for back-up.

Kate glanced at him and said, "Yes, Sheldon, we are. But I can also get Chance the salad if she so prefers." She turned her eyes from Sheldon to the rearview mirror, looking at her best friend, saying, "Just write down what you want, and I'll get it for you."

Chance shook her head and said to Raj, "I'm so glad you're not insane."

Raj smiled and said, "me too."

Kate shook her head. It was like dealing with children.

Kate stopped in front of the Chinese food restaurant. As usual, Sheldon told her what he wanted and when he did, Kate smiled and said she'd already remembered it. He smiled at her and then asked her to repeat what he just said. As though it was routine, Kate smiled genuinely and did so, to which point, Sheldon nodded approvingly.

Chance watched the two and looked at Raj saying, "Are you kidding me?"

"I wish we were," Howard said sadly.

"Hmm," Chance groaned.

Kate sat backwards in the seat, her feet against the back of the driver's seat and held a pen and paper.

"What do you all want?" Kate asked, looking at the four in the back.

"What," said Leonard, "You can remember Sheldon's ridiculous order but you need to write ours down?" He glanced between he and his other three compadres before looking at Kate, as though wondering if he was the only one that found this ridiculous.

"His order is the only one worth remembering, now either tell me what you want or stick a sock in it," Kate stated.

Sheldon gazed her seriously and then said to Leonard, "She drives a hard bargain, doesn't she?"

"No doubt," Leonard said. "Fine." He took Kate's pen and paper and wrote down his order. Howard and Raj did the same, and Chance took the paper last. She handed it to Kate, who accepted it.

"Alright," she said. "I'll be right back."

"I would hope so," Sheldon said.

Kate smiled at him again then crawled out of the Batmobile, holding the two-page list. Sheldon watched her go and he sighed.

"What?" Leonard questioned, dreading the worried sigh that exhaled from the passenger seat.

"I forgot to tell her to make sure they wore gloves," said Sheldon.

"Kate will," said Leonard assuredly.

"How can you be sure?" Sheldon pressed.

"Because she's the only one that seems okay with the escaped lunatic in the car," Chance stated plainly.

Sheldon looked at her, saying, "It's the Batmobile, not a car."

Chance gave him an odd look. She rolled her eyes and said quietly, "I don't know how Kate puts up with you."

"Neither do we," said Howard. "It's like watching a zebra juggle."

Kate returned shortly after and handed two large bags to the back of the car. Howard took it and Leonard took the other one.

"Wait, why didn't you give Sheldon one of these?" complained Howard.

"Because he doesn't want the extensive burns that come from the bag with hot food in it," said Kate.

"So you're giving them to me?" Howard and Leonard voiced simultaneously.

Sheldon smiled smugly and said, "Ha, ha, you have to hold the bags."

Raj and Chance shook their heads. Even after Sheldon interrogated Kate about her procedure in procuring the food, Kate's answers were immediate and equally approving. When Sheldon asked about the hot mustard and the other sauce he normally ate with it, Kate explained that she'd already gotten it from the manager.

"The manager?" repeated Chance incredulously.

"Yes," said Kate. "He supervised while they made the food."

"Why the hell would you ask him to do that?" Chance exclaimed.

Sheldon gazed at her and said, "You're completely oblivious to everything she does, aren't you? And here I sat, thinking you two were best friends."

Chance frowned.

"You're an arrogant bastard, aren't you?" Chance retorted coldly.

"Well, look at that," Sheldon mused, turning to Kate. "She's not so oblivious after all."

It would be estimated that Chance would have knocked Sheldon in the head if it wasn't for Raj putting his hand on her thigh and holding her back with his lofty gesture.

As they went into the apartment building (Howard and Leonard holding the food), Kate and Sheldon led the group. Kate opened the door and the group went in, except Sheldon, who permitted Kate to enter before he did so. They all began upstairs, except Kate divided from them to the mailbox. Sheldon watched the others go but waited for her. She unlocked the mail compartment then closed it, locking it back, then walked back. She didn't expect Sheldon to be standing there, and was surprised to see him.

"Oh…" Kate gasped.

"What?" Sheldon responded.

"I thought you might have gone up with the others."

"You thought wrong," said Sheldon.

"Evidently," Kate returned. She handed him his enveloped pay check. "This is for you."

"Oh. Thank you," Sheldon said, taking it. He joined Kate up the stairs, and they walked with the simultaneous step, synchronized.

On the second flight of stairs, Kate noticed the others were already gone, probably opening the apartment door with her key, which she'd handed off to Chance to open when they got to the tippy top. Sheldon touched her sleeved shoulder and she turned to look at him.

"Kate," he said quietly.

"What, Sheldon?"

He was looking at her with an unfathomable gaze, and it was not only causing her belly to do flips but her mind was circumventing all images possible to relate to his regard. They stood on the base of second stair flight and she became a little antsy at the way he was looking at her. It wasn't unlike the gaze he intermitted when he was stuck on a problem and was solving nonverbally.

"Sheldon?" Kate muttered.

"I'm at a stalemate, I'm afraid," said Sheldon finally.

"A stalemate?" Kate repeated.

"Yes," said Sheldon. He crossed his arms and said logically, "I'm referring, of course, to the interaction we had discreetly in the vehicle, more specifically what was happening before Howard and Chance interceded with their ridiculous counter arguments about DC-Marvel controversy."

Kate raised her eyebrows. She leaned her back against the wall and nodded.

"All right. What about it?"

"While we are here, privately, I wished to…" Sheldon hesitated and shook his head suddenly, saying something in an undertone about how he shouldn't even begin thinking about this. "Never mind, it's inappropriate."

"No, no, no, tell me," she encouraged.

"It's hard to explain."

"Nothing for you is hard to explain, Sheldon," said Kate, knowingly. "Are you uncomfortable with your request?"

"Highly," said Sheldon. "I'm given to understand that only hippies succumb to impulsive causes." He licked his lips though nervously; Kate saw that there was something he definitely needed to get off his chest, and he was only becoming embarrassed about it as he pursued the determination of doing so.

"You know, never mind," said Sheldon. He turned to head up the stairs. "It can wait. I'm sure by now that Chance is sitting in my spot; she has that tendency to defile everything I know and love."

Kate put her hand on his forearm, her fingers touching his bare skin; the small shock she'd expected became one of small spurts, especially when he turned to look at her.

"What are you doing?" Sheldon inquired.

"Tell me what you wanted to say, Sheldon," Kate said. "I know it's been pressing against your mind for the past twenty minutes."

"Twenty-six minutes," Sheldon corrected.

Kate smiled.

"Is it because we kissed?" Kate asked.

Sheldon looked at her, but not exactly _at_ her. That unfathomable gaze was there again.

"Partly," said Sheldon.

"What's the other part?"

"That's the befuddling variable," Sheldon said.

"Is it because I kissed you?"

Sheldon sighed heavily and Kate crossed her arms impatiently.

"Sheldon, if my kissing you bothers you personally, I can stop. Like you, I'm not above it."

"Well, one can understand you're not underneath me either."

"At some point, I wish I was," said Kate. She covered her mouth the moment it slipped. Sheldon looked at her, apparently shocked by her blunt honesty.

"You know," Kate said with a nervous laugh, "we ought to be heading up there, we should definitely make sure that Kate's not in your spot." She headed up there but it was Sheldon's turn to take her arm and she was stuck in the spot. They were on the staircase itself.

"Sheldon," Kate muttered. "You're right, this is uncomfortable. If it's any comfort, I agree that the kissing in the car was a bit uncalled for, and it was necessary to be interrupted because…"

"I disagree; the way I remember it is that I felt a bit disappointed when Howard and Chance disrupted it." Sheldon replied.

Kate stared at him.

"You were disappointed?" Kate breathed. "I thought it was a good thing they stopped it."

"Hardly," Sheldon replied, although the answer was stated reluctantly. He sighed. "Kate, you know me well enough that I dislike it when anyone interrupts me. It's not only rude but very exasperating, if not maddening."

Kate still stared at him. He was making sense but he wasn't being clear. She stepped towards him and said with an edge of hesitation but the desire to understand, "So you were annoyed when they interrupted us?"

"Annoyed, yes," he confirmed. "Not only was it disruptive but I also have this regurgitating annoyance where it will always remain unless one can finish what had been started, thus relieving the nagging curiosity about what would have incurred."

Kate opened her mouth in shock.

"Are you telling me that you're still disappointed that Chance and Howard stopped us from kissing and that ever since then, you've been annoyed with me for not having finished it?"

Sheldon looked at her and said sardonically, "This conversation is circling, Kate."

There was a pause as Kate looked at him; her mind was mounting images of them on the staircase, declaring desire for each other that would only come in climactic finish but she knew that wasn't going to happen, but the idea was very arousing.

"Well," said Kate, "I don't know what to say."

Sheldon shrugged. "Who needs to say anything?" He stepped towards her enough that Kate's back went against the wall and Sheldon, who seemed to be under a different influence of movement, close the space between them as he kissed her initially on the lips. Kate gasped, her lips parting in the action, which he took as an invitation—not that she was complaining. His tongue moved along the outer edge of her bottom lip, and she felt her breath hitch.

She felt his hands on her hips, and Kate grinned enthusiastically. She had become lost in the moment that Sheldon parted from her and she looked at him curiously.

"Kate, it's my understanding that when two people engage in the social paradigm of kissing, it's necessary for the two to cooperate, otherwise I might as well be associating myself with a wall," Sheldon stated. She glanced at the structure behind her and when she did, Sheldon added, "Personally, I presume you to be less contagious in serving germs a home, but then again, I've been wrong before…which is rare."

Kate giggled and put her arms around his neck then kissed him back. The swelling in her stomach and the burning in her loins was immediate when he matched their height, hiking her legs up by the back of her knee and pushing her against the wall to hold her weight. Kate was again surprised at his upper body strength but it wasn't bad ergonomics to begin with, using the wall as a planting ground.

When she felt him against her inner thigh she involuntarily let out a small moan, and to this, she was even more aroused when she felt Sheldon smirk against her mouth. Despite his naivety, he wasn't too ignorant to know when a woman moaned, it was a good sign.

Kate touched her tongue against his, the two meeting in her mouth for commemoration. It was slow, deep kissing, and Kate was more than enjoying herself. She half-feared though that any given moment, anyone—and she suspected it would be Howard, as he had interrupted the moments with another agent—could stop this. It caused her to feel insecure, and a little urgent.

She kissed him back this time with more pressure and intensity. The change of pace went noticed by Sheldon, who stopped and looked at her.

"Sorry," Kate apologized breathlessly. "I got a little ahead of myself."

Sheldon made no comment; in fact, Kate noticed that in his eyes held something, mischief, perhaps, maybe more? His pupils were dilated, and she knew it to be a sign of sexual attraction-slash-arousal.

Instead of responding verbally, he did so with a different method, one that astonished her. He abruptly pushed his mouth against hers, hard enough that it made Kate's head hit the wall and yet it was gentle enough that her mouth wasn't crying out of pain. The gesture itself shocked her, and it wasn't enough that Sheldon had become almost hungry for more. Gotta love that scientific curiosity! His hands moved behind her back; there was no space between them as their chests were pressed into each other; inadvertently, Kate was not unaware of the pressure against her inner thigh.

"You have soft lips," Sheldon muttered in mid-kiss.

"You too," Kate returned.

"Where'd you guys go!"

Sheldon and Kate exchanged a look of annoyance and knowing. They broke apart and when Howard's voice grew louder in calling for them, Sheldon cleared his throat and stepped a few paces from Kate, saying out of the blue, "No, Kate, Chance is clearly biased when it concerns DC and Marvel propaganda."

Kate chuckled and said, "What are you doing?"

"I'm making impromptu conversation," Sheldon said. "It's a customary prevention for those who don't want outsiders to know what they've been doing. It also implies that you go along with it."

Kate smiled and when Howard appeared, she said, "Of course, Sheldon, she is clearly biased. I'm still saying, though, that Batman is far more superior to Iron Man."

Howard glanced between the two and said deliberately, "Making impromptu conversation to cover up the fact you two were making out?"

"No, it was an ongoing conversation," Sheldon stated.

"Sheldon, you sound very unconvincing," Howard warned. "You don't have that big-headed attitude you normally have and so I'm assuming you're lying."

Kate looked at him and said, "Come off it, Howard. If that's the most shameful thing Sheldon and I do then you are the one that shouldn't be talking." She passed him. "Is Chance sitting in Sheldon's spot?"

"No," Howard stated. "She's in yours, though."

Kate looked up at the stairs and muttered, "That bitch." She walked up the stairs.

Howard looked at Sheldon, who gazed at him with idle anxiety.

"You have to admit that you're experiencing human urges, Sheldon," Howard said. "Can't deny they aren't intriguing, am I right?"

"Wrong," Sheldon stated coolly. "They're beyond annoying."

"I'm surprised you let Kate touch you that way," Howard teased. "She has germs too, you know."

Sheldon twitched at the idea then argued, perhaps more for his mind's comfort than the argument alone, "I also know that Kate bares a similar strict affirmation to hygiene than most people. I won't deny though that my mouth is begging for mouthwash."

Howard rolled his eyes and headed up the stairs after him.


	50. (51) The Bullying Apology

**Chapter Fifty-One: The Bullying Apology**

**Author's Note: I'm sorry that Chapter 50 isn't on here; my computer completely crashed and I couldn't recover it. Basically what happened in the lost chapter is that Chance took Sheldon's spot and refused to get out of it, which resulted in her banishment and it caused a nick in Kate and Chance's relationship. It wasn't a big chapter though. I'll make it up to you all in the next chapter! Will Kate and Sheldon get their uninterrupted moment? Coming up! :)**

The dinner was still pleasant, despite Chance's disturbing challenges and Kate's embodied threat towards Howard of walking in on his session with Bernadette. It did leave a little tension between Howard and Kate, and Leonard was beside himself. The conversation picked up a little after dinner, which was about costumes for the upcoming Thanksgiving Costume Party at the comic book store. This was, in time reference, nearly a week away. While Sheldon voiced his enthusiasm of being Batman; Howard and Bernadette had switched their personas to being Aragorn and Arwen rather than the promised Green Lantern and Hawkgirl; and there was the rumor that Raj and Chance were going to be Voldemort and Bellatrix Lestrange (from the Harry Potter series, as if NO one knew that). Kate had already eaten her portion of the chinese food, and was now focused on her phone.

Sheldon noticed for she hadn't contributed anything to the conversation. He glanced to his right and saw her on her phone. Her jaw was clenched and her eyes were narrowed.

"Kate?"

Sheldon's voice spoke her name softly, and in a low tone. It shook her out of her reverie and she turned to him, startled.

"What?"

Howard and Leonard were watching her curiously as well and Kate blushed in the embarrassment.

"You've been quiet," Sheldon stated. "The whole point of dinner is to contribute ideas based around our lives, as the social paradigm consists. Yet you've been staring at your phone." He placed his plate on the coffee table when Kate gestured to her phone screen, and he took the item being handed to him.

"You're on Facebook, Kate? That's rather inappropriate," Sheldon noted.

"Look," said Kate, dismissing his tone. She pointed to the top of the screen. "Chance updated her status."

"So?" Sheldon replied.

Kate took her phone back.

"_So_," emphasized Kate reproachfully, "Chance is upset."

"Obviously," said Howard. "You turned on your best friend, childhood one at that, for some lunatic about some seat cushion."

Kate glared at him and said with a cold tone, "Howard, you say another word and I..."

"You'll walk in on me having sex with Bernadette." Howard finished dismissively. "So? If anything, I'll ask you to join."

Sheldon cringed at this idea and Kate was not completely fond of it either. She turned her head and body to Howard with disgust.

"Howard, never, in the world we live in or the next, would I ever have sex with you. The idea of it repulsive and even if Bernadette agreed with it, I'd only attend if she was there, and not you," said Kate.

"That completely ruins the idea of a threesome," said Howard.

Kate curled her lips and shook her head; simultaneously, Sheldon exhaled disgustedly and said, "All right, I speak for Kate, Leonard and myself when I say 'we don't want to know that'."

Howard smirked and said to Sheldon in return, "You and Leonard may not, but I'm sure Kate would."

Kate frowned and looked at Sheldon directly, saying intentionally sweet, "May I take your plate, dear?"

Sheldon was strangely irked by her sudden benevolent tone, as was oppose to her previous coarse statement towards Howard. However, he wasn't objecting to her kindness.

"Thank you," Sheldon cooed, beaming. He handed her his plate. Kate stood and took Leonard's wordlessly as a nonverbal gesture and then Howard handed his plate to her but Kate frowned at him.

"I'm not taking yours," said Kate coolly.

"Why not?"

"Because, frankly, Howard," said Kate coldly, "you're being an ass." She gave him a nice glare of daggers and then walked into the kitchen. As she rinsed the sink after washing dishes, Kate was on her phone again. Finally, it seemed that her nerves were stretched as she dialed a number and placed her phone to her ear.

Sheldon watched her from the living room, his gaze merely observatory. The television was on as Leonard preferred to watch a movie showing on the screen rather than the DVD intended, but it seemed that with the suspense added from the commercial interruptions, one would enjoy it more...except Sheldon of course.

Uninterested by the interrupting commercials, Sheldon stood and joined Kate in the kitchen, sitting on the left stool. Kate was in the middle of a conversation, apparently one that was both heated and intent of apology. Despite his exceptional evolution of the homo novus, he only understand what Kate was saying, for his hearing hadn't completely evolved all that well.

"Chance," said Kate (Sheldon knew why it was so apologetic of her intentions). Kate was suddenly interrupted. She bit her lip in and sat across from Sheldon, although her gaze remained on the table, rather than on him, as he watched her with curiosity and concern. Her eyes were narrowed, her jaw had clenched then slackened. From what he could understand, Kate was listening to whatever Chance was raving about, but her impatience was partly her fault.

"Look, I'm sorry," apologized Kate reproachfully. Her sigh of derision was clear that Chance, against Kate's third apology, was rendered err regardless of compassion or reciprocated reckoning. Although, Sheldon was more than lured into the idea that the whole predicament that had ended in angry bitter tones was Chance's fault; Kate was faultless where he was concerned.

"Chance, look, listen to me," Kate said, smacking her left palm (for the right held the phone) on the surface of the table, making Sheldon, Leonard, and Howard startle in surprise and, in Sheldon's place, a little alarmed. Then again, he should have not been so surprised; he'd seen her brutality against inanimate objects before, i.e. the desk drawer, the contract...now the table.

"I'm sorry for what had happened. I didn't mean to get upset with you," Kate spilled quickly before Chance could interrupt her again. "You know what, I"ll stipulate to that if you admit that you were the instigator of the situation...I know, yeah, sure, I'll agree..." Kate shook her head and said, "You knew how he was before you agreed to come to the apartment."

Sheldon didn't know for sure but he had a good idea that Kate and Chance were discussing him. It seemed to be he who was the constant variable of the equations that appeared most often in friendships, namely Leonard and his chosen mate, and now, most recently, Kate and her hot-headed and provoking friendship with Chance Briar.

"Of course we're friends, Chance, but you're my friend and I'd hope you could understand my situation as well!" Kate retorted. "I get along with Rajesh, so you can get along with Sheldon—well, duh, they're not the same person; they're practically two different people, which, funnily enough, they are!"

Sheldon looked at her curiously. Did Chance mistake his personality to be a replicate of Raj's? My, my, was she blind. Despite Kate's earlier lashing comment about how different he and Rajesh were in appearance, and intelligence, which in Sheldon's opinion Kate hadn't argued enough, the conversation had taken a detour, perhaps for the better.

"Yeah, Howard said you were going to be Bellatrix," said Kate. "It fits your personality."

Sheldon waited for the insults to spill but apparently, Chance might've taken this as a pleasant compliment, even flattery for Kate's face suddenly softened and the chuckle that expelled from those lips was the utmost genuine. Sheldon raised his eyebrows; women were truly enigmatic to him.

"I'm not Catwoman," Kate said in return. Apparently, Chance was attempting to flatter Kate in return, as she blushed a light shade of pink in her cheeks—the sign of modesty, a reaction to flattery, at least from Kate.

"So we're okay?" asked Kate, smiling. She nodded a few times and said, "uh-huh", then she said, "Alright, yeah...Um..." She glanced at Sheldon then turned her back, whispering into the phone, "I don't know if Voldemort and Bellatrix did it in the Malfoy Manor; I'm stipulating to 'no', as Voldemort didn't feel anything towards...yeah, I agree. All right, so I'll see you later? Okay. I'll keep him at bay, or try to...but you have to work on your end too. Yeah...no, you're forgiven. Yeah. We're fine. Okay. See you. Bye."

Kate clicked her phone and turned around, looking relieved.

Sheldon raised his chin in a discernible, arrogant look.

"Did she apologize?" asked Sheldon; he clasped his hands on the counter and lowered his eyes to her as she sat across from him.

"Yeah," said Kate. She placed her phone in front of her, her hands lapsing over the screen. "But I did too."

Sheldon's reaction was immediately disappointed.

"Why?" he inquired. "You did nothing wrong."

"Sheldon," said Howard from the living room as he walked over to put his dish in the sink, "You're completely unaware of what damage you caused in the girls' friendship, aren't you?"

"Shut up," Kate stated coolly. "In my apartment, you're not talking."

"It's just as you said, Kate, it's not just your home, it's Sheldon's," returned Howard distantly. He looked at Sheldon for back-up but Sheldon gazed at him wordlessly.

"Well?" Howard said, gesturing to him.

Sheldon merely looked at him with a blank expression and replied in the same tone, "Well what?"

Kate smirked and said, "He's waiting for you to say that he can talk in this apartment, as it's your home as well as mine. Despite my acknowledgement,"-she gritted her teeth and said to him in a low clenching voice— "That I'm not too fond of him for the moment."

"When are you ever?" called Leonard from the couch. He was distracted by the movie though and didn't see Howard's icy stare.

"So," said Sheldon in a long sigh (which made Kate's stomach burst) "Is everything smoothed out? Can we presume that the heated debate, despite its misunderstandings and misgivings, is resolved?"

Kate looked at him dolefully, saying, "I had to stipulate to the fact that fifty percent of the 'heated debate' was your fault."

"_My fault_?" Sheldon repeated indifferently, looking oppressed. "How is it my fault?"

Kate gave him a look that expressed her already-exasperation at the topic. But she knew Sheldon, probably better than Leonard than to think she could dismiss him. Howard seemed to realize that he was a loose end, as he saw that the conversation had taken to Sheldon rather than his hanging endeavour to find whether or not he could talk or not. He retired to the couch, watching the television with Leonard. Sheldon stood.

"You stooped to her level by arguing with her," said Kate.

"She argued with _me_!" Sheldon retorted.

"She's an argumentative person, Sheldon; she provokes and instigates fights. She picked one with you when she sat in your spot."

"I still consider her banished."

"I disagree," said Kate curtly. "Your banishment was rescinded when she forgave me for backing you up on the matter, and I forgave her when she agreed that she was out of line."

Sheldon frowned. From the side lines, Leonard and Howard's attention were completely drawn to the couple in the kitchen, as they had never witnessed a Sheldon VS Kate argument before. This was surely going to be interesting. On the left corner...

"Kate, per the Roommate-Relationship Argument, you are unable to rescind any banishment or strikes given to guests or invitational friends," said Sheldon. "Not only that, but I settle all ties and settlements; she disagreed with me, and provoked me twice."

"You enabled her."

"How did I possible enable that woman?" Sheldon returned coldly, crossing his arms. Kate stood and put her hands on her hips.

On the right corner...

"Sheldon, you can't pick a fight with her; she's too hot-tempered."

"I've dealt with Penny before, and I managed to banish her."

Sheldon and Kate were glaring at each other. Kate, who knew of Penny's banishment years ago (which had been rescinded thanks to Mrs. Cooper's involvement) merely stared at him incredulously.

"Sheldon, I'm telling you because I care about you, that you should not pick a fight with Chance Briars. I know Penny and I know her. She's worse than that woman living across from you," said Kate coolly. "You're my best friend and my boyfriend, and I don't want to see you get hurt. So while you are ahead, quit."

Sheldon stared at her; perhaps it was because Kate's mood and attitude had become one of fearing for his safety and health, or her professed feelings for him, or maybe it was because she had admitted that Penny was a soldier, and Chance Briar was the general.

"Chance Briar is a certifiable woman who needs to be taught a lesson," said Sheldon.

"Really?" said Kate curtly. She took her phone from the table and held out to him. "Call her and say you want to meet her a parking lot, three o'clock, behind a school and then see if you all can battle it out before the principal finds you."

Sheldon didn't take the phone, as he knew Kate well enough to know that this was not a dare, but mockery.

"Kate, you're being ridiculous."

"You are." Kate snapped. "She's not like Penny, Sheldon. She won't try to ruin your laundry day, or find ways around. She'll come here, and punch you in the face. I know. I've been there."

"You're friends with an abusive woman?" Sheldon remarked incredulously.

"Not necessarily; she won't hit _me_. She'll hit _you_. All those fights we've had so far, Sheldon, i've damaged your desk drawer, the contract..."

"The table," interjected Sheldon.

Kate shook her head and said, "You're not getting it here, Sheldon." She tapped his forehead. "Think for a moment. Chance is the instigator, and she bothers you just by being herself. Imagine if she does this on a bigger level? It'll make your life hell."

"So why don't you go against her?" Howard piped up.

Sheldon and Kate turned around to him and Kate stared at him, her green eyes blazing.

"You don't think I have?" Kate rounded. "She annoys me, Howard. She belittles my job and she provokes my boyfriend."

"So why are you a friend of hers?" Leonard reasoned. The experimental physicist and engineer were now standing in the kitchen, looking at Kate.

Why was Kate a friend of Chance's who seemed to be the phyiscally violent type? Why was she a friend of Chance's, a woman who constantly made fun of Kate's job, how it was demeaning for her to open a human up, spare the life of a man who was shortening his life by not taking control of his diabetes and belittled her boyfriend?

"Because," snapped Kate.

Sheldon uncrossed his arms and in return he scolded, "That's _hardly_ an answer."

Kate stared at the three of them and she sighed deeply and said finally, "When I was in school, I had a bully and she defended me from him, fought him in the parking lot at three o'clock behind the high school. She put him into a coma and he graduated unconscious. He never hurt me again, so I owe her."

"You're her friend because she defended you?" Leonard remarked with uncertainty. "That doesn't sound like a good reason."

"Wrong," Kate replied coolly. "She's my friend because I choose to be her friend. I never had many."

"Neither have I," said Sheldon in response. "But I hardly a person who belittles your work and research a friend."

Howard and Leonard glanced at Sheldon pointedly. Sheldon saw their glances and he rolled his eyes.

"Kate's profession is amounting to something more than just building bowel recycling mechanisms and copying work of past scientists," Sheldon condescended.

Kate smiled a small smile.

"Sheldon," said Kate gently. "I'm still going to stick up for you when Chance becomes aggressive."

"No need," Sheldon said in resignation. "I've held my end of the fight for a rather extensive period of time against those who chose brawn over brain and I've served to be the successor many a time."

"Really," she responded. "I'd like to see you stand up to a woman who beat a man twice her size with a spatula."

Sheldon stared at Kate with a great amount of skepticism but after her gaze never dwindled, he cleared his throat and said, "Then again, I vote in full for your support. Thank you, Kate."

"You're welcome, Sheldon." Kate returned.

She sighed and looked all three of them. "I've had a long day," she said, "and I'm going to retire to my bedroom." She turned sharply to Howard and said, "You step one foot into my doorway and I'll slice off your balls with a scalpel; don't think I won't." She walked past them.

"Good night!" She called, down the hallway.

"Good night!" Leonard and Howard said (although Howard sounded a little weaker for the wear).

"Good night," Sheldon said. He watched after her and he sat in his spot, smiling. It was interesting how the arguments were settled in the household; Kate and Sheldon always managed to get the argument over with in a minimal of thirty minutes. It was nice.


	51. (52) Giving In

Chapter Fifty-Two: Giving In

Kate dressed in her bedroom; her mind was on several things. One of them was Chance. The second was Sheldon. The third was how quickly they'd argued and how easily it had been resolved. She wondered if she was an instigator herself; part of the reason she wasn't so exasperated to argue with him was that she didn't mind seeing him so riled, so bridled in passion with the idea in his head that no matter what happened, he was faultless and right—even if he was at fault and desperately wrong. She had to admire the confidence—misplaced, perhaps at times, but she still admired him. It was one of the things she liked about him, why she found him so attractive.

Her deal with Chance was made a bit ambiguous but she hoped the treaty stood for itself. Chance had promised to not goad Sheldon, to provoke him into his little disagreements that made the others around them, like Howard, Leonard, Penny and others, feel that it was a waste of time. On her part, she'd try to keep Sheldon at bay, at least soften the ridges before the walls completely defended themselves and the cannons exploded.

The costume party was in a week, and she'd already bought Catwoman's attire; most of it, she'd made herself. It was not unlike Michelle Pfieffer's home-made stitchery that made it dynamic; she'd spent the time in her room compiling it together. When she'd tried it on in the mirror, she was drawn to it; it was her own making, and she felt empowered, like she could truly be Catwoman. Kate smiled at the thought; the idea slinging from building to building with a whip and a hook sounded stupid, but it was a wonderful image.

Kate stood with her back to her door; she threw off her shirt and placed it in the hamper beside her bed. Her pants fell to her feet in a puddle. As she walked throughout the room, all she wore were her laced underwear and matching black bra; she didn't care if she matched or not. It was the idea that if Sheldon ever burst in the room, her matching garments, having no disorganization to them, would, if anything, appeal to him.

She became occupied, and trapped within her own reverie. Her curiosity ebbed though from her reverie to the living room when she heard Howard, Leonard, and Sheldon noisily arguing that Howard's flirting with Kate (if that was how he referred it) was inappropriate; from Sheldon's voice, Kate knew he was denying any possessive quality he may have, or the jealousy he felt when Howard mentioned having a threesome with Bernadette and Sheldon's six-month girlfriend.

Kate took a breath; she had been with Sheldon for almost a year, being a girlfriend. She smirked. How she managed to hold on this long without having him in her bed was amazing to her; how she even accomplished such a feat was even more ambiguous.

"I don't care how you meant it!" Sheldon's voice was heard, speaking louder and closer to her door. "Not only is it derogatory by mere suggestion, I object to it emphatically!"

"I was playing with her!" Howard interjected.

Kate glanced at the door.

"I don't care; it was rude and insensitive."

"Oh like you know what rudeness is!" Leonard was heard shouting.

"Of course I know what rudeness is! Howard demonstrated the quality earlier and rather well, shall I add; dear Lord, what would your mother think!" Sheldon was heard yelling.

"I don't have to take this!" Howard shouted, and the door could be heard slamming. Evidently, after him, Leonard had gone as well for there were no other shouts. Kate shook her head and began rummaging through her drawers for a different pair of pajamas (her Batman pajamas had been outworn and were now in the hamper, needing a good washing).

Kate found a pair of thin red pajama bottoms; they were silky. She smiled in spite of herself, and slipped them on, tying the drawstrings.

"Kate."

Her name was called and it sounded from an apparently distressed Sheldon. It was no doubt from the pressing hollering and the fight that had occurred outside her door; there seemed to be a lot of hollering these days, since Chance had started it. Kate frowned; she was to blame for that small reason.

Kate hadn't responded at first. Instead of searching for a matching shirt, she found her black robe; it only went to her upper thighs, but she wrapped it around her and held the front together to cover herself.

She stepped to the door and said, "What, Sheldon?"

"I have to talk to you," he said. "I'd rather talk in person as this door only forms one barrier and apparently, according to an indifferent Wolowitz and an apathetic, but presumably misunderstood Leonard Hodfstader, who presumes he's correct despite his failed relationships in the past, we have barriers to break down."

"Barriers to break down?" Kate questioned.

"That was the Wolowitz conjecture." Sheldon stated, in spite of the need to talk, he sounded apathetic himself, or maybe it was because he had quoted a man whom held no doctorates degree.

Kate sighed and opened the door. Sheldon stood in front of the doorway, his arms to his sides, and his face only expressed perhaps half of the distress and alarm he was undergoing. He looked at her.

"Do you think we have an odd relationship?" asked Sheldon.

Kate had expected everything—anything-but that. Her reaction was displaced; she blinked several times and said awkwardly, "Odd?"

"Yes," said Sheldon.

"How so?"

"I don't know," Sheldon stated. "Wolowitz claims he knows your body language and apparently, from what he tells me, you're undergoing physiological distress recurring from regular postponing of sexual release, and have an underlying agitation that supersedes the point."

He added with a roll of his eyes, "He also mentioned that you may be repressing some growing jealousy that's caused by the knowledge of Rajesh and Chance Briar having regular intercourse while..." He glanced from Kate awkwardly, "you and I maintain a—and, believe me, I quote—' a semi-platonic, sexless relationship'. Therefore, this has eluded you into presuming that the heated debate you've experienced with Chance earlier today has stemmed from the envy."

Kate stared at him, mouth agape, and eyes practically popping from her skull. Sheldon crossed his arms and looked down at her.

"However, according to Leonard, your debate with Chance stemmed from having the obligation to defend me as I am your roommate and live-in boyfriend, also negating the lasting friendship you and your combative friend have had for years at a time," continued Sheldon. He glanced from her, except this was from alleged thoughtfulness rather than discomfort. "However, now that I think about it, it may be Leonard's way of saying that..."

"Sheldon, I know you don't like being interrupted but let me," said Kate lightly.

Sheldon exhaled in relief and said, "Thank goodness; I thought you would never offer the alternative."

Kate grinned broadly. She crossed her arms, more out of finality than discomfort.

"First off, I didn't defend you because you're my roommate and my live-in boyfriend. I defended you because you have a spot on the couch you've claimed for years and since it's our apartment, you should have the eternal dibs, and it was Chance's fault for having instigated that argument.

"Second," Kate said, although her tone became one of cynicism. "Second, Howard is not the expert in our relationship. If anyone is that, it's me. You're a very brilliant man, Sheldon; you should know better than to take the advice of a man whose living with his wife in his mother's house. Not only that, he's an engineer, not a doctor; for Christ's sake, his wife is making more than him as of this moment."

Sheldon beamed at her. Kate went on and said with more finality.

"Third, Leonard is part ways being wrong and right. He's right because although I do support any decision you make, Chance is also my friend and therefore I have to become a regular median between the two of you, which places me in a very awkward, and uncomfortable situation, but if it means keeping the line straight between you, I'm fine with that. He's wrong, because I don't mind keeping your spot, as you do well keeping mine."

Sheldon nodded dutifully, accepting her explanation. However, the part of the hypothesis she'd yet to neither affirm or discern was waiting. Kate smiled at him, although it only reached her cheeks, and not her eyes.

"My last point, Sheldon, is that our relationship very well may be sexless and compared to Penny and Leonard's relationship or Howard and Bernadette's marriage, it may very well seem sexless or lacking in what they see as chemistry and intimacy. Despite it all," Kate said, lowering her arms (forgetting she only wore a bra underneath her now-opening robe), "the reason we may very well _have _a sexless relationship is because in the past several occurances, he's interrupted them...three times, actually."

She looked at Sheldon pointedly. But his eyes were looking anywhere but at her. She knew why; her awareness had kicked in and she smiled. He was blushing intensely.

"Sheldon," said Kate.

He didn't look at her.

"Sheldon," sang Kate gently.

"What?" he said quietly.

Kate stepped towards him, and touched his neck with her hands; she pulled him slowly down to her and she kissed his throat. Sheldon glanced at her.

"What are you doing?" he asked quietly.

Kate smiled but the mischief was in her eyes, clearly, and all for him to see. Her voice that replied was low, soft, and alluring, even to him.

"Why do you ask when you already know the answer, Sheldon?" she purred.

Sheldon looked at her; his curiosity was there, but he did know what she was doing, and knew why she was doing it. They had time to finish what they'd started three times before. However, he looked misplaced. Perhaps that was because he was at the threshold of her bedroom, or more that she was half-naked (in his terms) before him.

"Do you really think it's _that_ bad?" Kate asked quietly.

"It's not what I think," Sheldon remarked. "It's what I know."

"What do you know?" asked Kate seriously.

"Enough," Sheldon replied as an answer. Kate didn't take it. She pulled Sheldon to her and this time, she planted her lips hard onto his, and when he made a move to break it, she only pushed her mouth against his harder. She knew she was probably passing a boundary here, but Kate was in her prime. And she wanted him.

She moved him into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. He was entranced, evidently, as he made no move to stop her, or even whisper an objection. He merely stared at her in awe. Kate smirked; he never had seen a woman naked, right? She was his first.

"Sheldon, have you ever been with a woman before?" Kate inquired.

"In what context?" Sheldon responded. He sat on the edge of her bed, looking at her curiously.

Kate shrugged off her robe, the little bearing of clothing that hid her shoulders, stomach, and the top cleavage of her breasts. Sheldon turned from her, his cheeks becoming a bright shade of pink. He was looking anywhere—everywhere-but at her. Kate smiled; she had to, he was too adorable.

"Kate, I think this is highly inappropriate," Sheldon remarked.

"Is it?" Kate responded softly. She stood between his legs where he sat; her heart was racing and her breathing was slow, but deep. She wanted him...oh, she did.

"Yes," said Sheldon. He seemed panicked.

Kate glanced down and saw that partly the reason he might have been so was that he was clearly enjoying himself, even if he couldn't admit it openly to her. If he became more self-conscious, she knew she would get no where. Even men needed a bit of security.

"Sheldon," said Kate gently.

"Yes?"

"I took a shower before I came into my bedroom," Kate told him smoothly.

"I doubt that," scoffed Sheldon—ah, see, there we go.

"You don't believe me?" she returned.

"I didn't say I didn't believe you," Sheldon retorted curtly. "I said 'I doubt it'."

Kate bent down on her knees, so she was looking up at him. Sheldon looked down at her, his expression was authoritative.

"What makes you doubt me?" Kate remarked.

Sheldon gazed at her, inquisitive of her seductive nature. Her hands moved from her lap and placed themselves on his knees. He watched her carefully, suspecting her of games, or trickery. Kate straightened her back, and looked up at him.

"The more important question, Kate, is what _doesn't_ make me doubt you," Sheldon responded.

Well, it was nice to know he didn't become too self-conscious that she was between his legs; any man would have just shut the hell up and hope she went down on him. Not this guy; Kate smiled; ah, one of the other things she enjoyed about him.

Kate stood and sat on her bed, slightly behind him. Seeing her move, Sheldon's eyes followed her, more curious.

Kate sat behind him.

"What are you doing?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm going to make you relax," Kate replied.

"On your bed?"

"Unless you want to move into _your_ bedroom."

Sheldon stared at her then turned away suddenly, saying, "I'm fine."

"Good." Kate stated. She crossed her legs, Indian style. Her hands touched his shoulders; immediately, he tensed. Kate grinned as his reaction to her. Despite response, Kate pressed her thumbs down on his muscles and rubbed his shoulders. Underneath her digits, she felt him tense even more but with time passing, Kate heard him moan softly.

She sat on her knees, shifting her weight, and after a few minutes passed, Kate took a risk. She lowered her lips to the nape of his neck, and kissed him gingerly, her lips lingering only long enough for him to suspect what was going on behind him. Another risk came to her mind, and she moved her hands along his back—her heart leapt when she felt a muscular definition.

"I don't know how this is supposed to make me relax," she heard Sheldon mutter.

"Why doesn't it?"

Sheldon turned to her, a 360 rotation, in which he was sitting Indian style like her, on her bed. It took her by surprise, only a small definition of the word, and she placed her hands on her knees, as he did in return.

"Why doesn't it?" he repeated in her tone. "Three reasons why it makes me feel uncomfortable, Kate, and I can only presume that you know them."

Kate gave him an interesting look, one that was entertained and yet impressed.

"Well," she mused lightly. She repositioned herself to sit on her knees, her feet tucked underneath her. "The first reason can very well be that you're in my bedroom after hours, as it's,"-she glanced at the clock— "ten o'clock now."

Sheldon gave her an approved nod. One out of three; she was on a roll. Kate leaned forward so she was on all fours and said smoothly, "Second, you lack the experience in these certain situations and therefore, despite your theories of these matters, it still renders you awkward and potentially vulnerable to my approaches and mediocre attempts to seduce you."

At this, his expression remained to be impressed but it was one of the looks she hardly saw: sheer amusement and befuddled surprise. Her genius of psychology had surprised him, yes, but her understanding was beyond comprehensible. To put it bluntly, Sheldon was, in the slightest turn of phrase, more attracted to her for this very reason. A small smirk tugged the corner of his lips, and Kate bit her own to keep her desire under control, which was slowly lacking. This prompted her last reason.

"Third," Kate muttered—their lips were only a millimeter from touching.

Sheldon remained still and passive as he sat with his hands clasped in front of him, his eyes watching hers with the attraction that made her melt under a burning sun. The slightest gleam in his eyes had changed his disposition of innocence to something more...what was the word? Deviant?

"Understandably enough," Kate murmured, "as per the conventional paradigm of male-female social interaction, a male typically demonstrates a sense of control or domination over his female counterpart. As you have little experience in the motions, despite what your brilliant mind understands, you lack the control necessary to obtain the emotional and mental objectivity that's required in—mm!"

Kate was taken by another surprise as her back slid against the mattress. She was even more surprised to feel Sheldon's lips pressing hard against hers. Her legs, as though under a different force, spread apart without her permission when he was between them. Kate took in the moment, her mind blown that Sheldon had her hands in his, pinned on the mattress on either side of her shoulders.

"You continue to underestimate me," Sheldon said quietly. With a smirk that was unlike him, he added in a soft, but low voice, "_Kitten_."

Her heart might as well had dove into her stomach then sprung up to her throat! All it took was the dismissive tone, the mild inclination that Dr. Cooper couldn't take control of any given situation, no matter how little experience he possessed.

"Underestimation is a great feat of mine," Kate remarked. She was somewhat amused when her tone had resembled more sultry than a state of fact.

"Also a great defection," Sheldon added. He kissed her mouth, gently, then when she returned it, a growing sensation swelled inside of her, and also, elongated against her inner thigh. Through her irritably thin silky pajama bottoms, despite their material, she might as well have been pant-less.

Kate parted her lips for his entry and to her delight, he kissed her again, except with more passion, and with a hunger that she reciprocated. Kate moved her hands, wondering just how strong he was, and was half-stunned that to her pleasure—and equal misfortune—he didn't even struggle to keep her wrists on the bed.

"Are you going to keep me pinned?" Kate murmured.

"Depends," said Sheldon simply. His lips lowered to her neck, and merely grazed the flesh. Kate wondered if he knew this was a form of teasing and this was all incidental. Or did he know, and that was why he was doing this tormenting pleasure?

"Depends on what?" Kate gasped quietly; she felt him kiss her throat. She wiggled underneath him but he merely placed his weight onto her and his arousal became clear to her when he did so. She moaned softly, her lips pursing when she heard herself.

"If relinquish your restraint," Sheldon stated, "are you going to misbehave?"

Kate's middle half nearly burned with intense desire when he asked the question. Or was it a threat? He looked down at her and she, up at him. His eyes were a darker blue, not the brightness from which they normally gazed at her. Sheldon was not Sheldon; he was, but this was different. Kate looked at him curiously.

"I can still maintain dominance while beneath you, Sheldon," Kate uttered. "I don't need to be on top to do so."

Sheldon scoffed and said arrogantly, "I hardly doubt that."

"What gives you cause to doubt me?" Kate replied. She pushed her hips against his in one slow, steady grind and he moaned involuntarily; she knew so for when he did, he gave her an irritated look. In return, she smirked.

"That doesn't count," Sheldon stated.

Kate lifted her head and met her mouth to his, the kiss provoking. He looked at her, if not for only a few seconds to investigate her interesting gesture.

"Then what about this..." said Kate lightly. Her tone was low, subtle, and possessed a darker tone, aside from the light contact of her mouth. She lifted her legs and moved them behind his, and despite her wrists being pinned beside her shoulders, she arched her back. The motion incidentally pushed him harder and closer between her legs; it caused her desirous torture but it made him groan, even if the sound was half-pleasurable, and yet somewhat highly reluctant.

Sheldon seemed to have had enough of her disapproving his statements. He sat up and Kate, unexpected of his reaction, was in a state of shock. She heard his shoes drop drop to the floor and when she began to sit up to see what he was doing, she was only placed in a state of entrapment.

Now they were in the same position as before but Kate was a bit uncertain as to how it had changed, yet. Sheldon was smiling at her, impishly. She'd only seen this a few times since their being together and it was astounding to her that he'd look as such.

"What?" Kate asked, the uncertainty stemmed from her edged tone.

"I'm going to show you exactly how much control I have over you," said Sheldon. It was not a threat, or a challenge, or even a sentence strung with illegitimate tones. He might as well have stated that 2+2 equaled four.

"How can you?" Kate responded.

"Despite Penny and Leonard's intentions of the past, I'd acquired a book explaining such events," said Sheldon. "As you've mentioned though, it _is_ one thing to have experienced something personally than in theory but I'm a physicist. When one understands the natural workings of physics and all that orbits the subject"-Sheldon pushed himself closer and deeper between her legs, causing Kate to moan pleasurably and longingly—"One can assimilate numerous theories to match any given situation. Even a situation, such as this."

"What book?" asked Kate.

Sheldon smiled and said, "Paranoid?"

"No," said Kate. "Curious. And a bit disturbed."

"How so?"

"Penny and Leonard gave you a book that discussed sex and its contriving theories and positions and you've read this alone?" Kate stated. She found it amusing that despite the arousal she was feeling and slowly going through the motions that her curiosity and questions still got the best of her, even if it did prolong the act that would extinguish her need.

"Don't be silly," said Sheldon. "I had the light on."

Kate smiled in spite of herself. Ah, there ya go. She moved her legs around his waist, arched her back so she could feel him against her, and harden. Feeling her challenge, Sheldon moved his hips against hers, and she groaned as it only intensified her longing. Kate felt her stomach dive lower into her stomach, and her chest rose and fell. Sheldon seemed to have no inclination that she was in a bra and red silky pajama pants, and a robe that covered the better part of her arms.

"I've noticed something," said Kate quietly. Her voice was strained in lust and yet a final act of restraint.

"Distractions are rather juvenile in this case, don't you think?" Sheldon stated, thinking she was only diverting him from the situation, and waiting for that moment where he no longer held the invulnerability he possessed for the moment. Kate closed her eyes for a second when she felt his groin push against hers.

"I'm not talking about distractions, not so much as that as an observation." Kate stated breathlessly.

Sheldon looked at her and said with a daring tone, "Fine, Kate. I'll divulge."

"I've noticed, that you're—to put it bluntly—a control freak." Kate stated smoothly.

Sheldon looked at her blankly and then said in the same tone he uttered earlier, "That's your infamous observation?" Sarcastically, he responded, "What was your first clue?"

"Sarcasm, Sheldon?" Kate returned.

Sheldon smiled and said, "I've gotten a handle on it. I'm a fast learner, Kate; you above all, should have already realized that."

"Mmm," Kate mused. She raised her chin and kissed him. Their kiss was instantly passionate—the pressure between their mouths was hard, and Kate's invitation was immediate; his tongue glided across her bottom lip (as she had done to him when she tempted him the first time). Kate moaned inwardly.

Her muscles within her abdomen, and below her waist, clenched when he reciprocated the same sound of pleasure. Her back arched and the slow and torturous, but the ever so delicious, dance of grinding hips had begun, causing Kate's mind to blur and heart to race. Sheldon only seemed frustrated; he felt the throbbing in his lower anatomy, and pushing himself against Kate wasn't making anything better, it only seemed to intensify the feeling. It was bittersweet.

Sheldon, with some resolve, released Kate's wrists, and balanced himself over Kate, his elbows becoming a beacon for his support. Smirking, Kate raised her arms, finding the freedom, and the moment; she moved her hands to his chest, pulling at his shirt(s), moving his body closer to her.

"This is agonizing," Sheldon stated. Kate kissed the corner of his mouth.

"Isn't it," she responded rhetorically. Kate smirked and with adventurous courage, she moved her lips to the apple of his throat and licked him.

He startled—she knew it was probably from two reasons: one, she licked him and the gesture itself was idle and provocative—and second, the most likely, he had a certain aversion to germs and this was pushing boundaries. Apparently, any other moment, he'd have given her a strike. However, Sheldon only gave her a certain look that rendered her speechless and uncertain for it was the familiar unfathomable look that she found prominently arousing but altogether confusing at best.

Sheldon moved his weight onto her and his hands, surprisingly, had moved to her neck; he kissed her lips softly but then moved his tongue between her lips, parting them, and finding her own tongue. His fingers slid down to her collar bone before hesitantly passing over her chest; Kate hitched a breath and stopped in mid-kiss when she felt his hands on her breasts.

"Sheldon," Kate muttered.

"For once," Sheldon said quietly, "I'm without a response or any direction as of what to do next."

Kate smiled at him. She arched her back and reached behind her, unhooking the clasp of her bra. He watched her, a little intrigued.

"Take it off," Kate stated; she might as well had professionally instructed for him to remove an organ from a body.

Sheldon took the straps in two fingers and moved them down her arms, along with the robe that nestled around her back and body itself. She sat up at an angle and he moved her robe off her shoulders, her bra from her arms and the two materials fell to the floor. Sheldon looked at her, having really, no idea, what to do. It wasn't him to admit it though. The book, of course, only gave so much step-by-step formidable directions as of what to do. Kate sat up, as did he. Kate's knees were placed on either side of his left thigh and she smirked at their closeness, despite the sitting position.

"Here," said Kate; she couldn't suppress the soft giggle that emitted. She took the back of his hands and moved them onto her sternum. He looked at her, his face was pink, but not as so were his cheeks. With a gentle voice, she purred, "Do what your instinct commands."

"That's a bit improbable, don't you think, Kate?"

"Even Spock had to succumb to instinct," said Kate smoothly. She placed her arms behind his neck and murmured, "If he can, can't you?"

Sheldon looked at her curiously.

"You're using Star Trek references to tempt me?" said Sheldon quietly.

"Temptations are the limitations of a man and a woman, Sheldon," said Kate. She licked his bottom lip and smiled. "I am but a temptress, inclined to do as I was programmed, and be not limited to the persistence and determination I've been computed to digress."

Sheldon gazed at her.

"Smart Kate has become a sultry robotic manipulation of all that intrigues me," Sheldon said softly.

"I'm not manipulative," Kate remarked. "I'm hungry."

"Not exactly a difference, _Kitten_," Sheldon replied, his voice becoming one of mischief.

"Mew," she uttered. Kate felt his hands become more adventurous despite her earlier statement. He cupped his palms over her breasts and felt their fullness and peaked tips. Kate moaned when he squeezed; Sheldon locked her sound of pleasure in her mouth when he muffled it with his own; their tongues found themselves again in her mouth. To experiment the same reaction twice, Sheldon squeezed again and her moan almost mimicked a soft pleasurable purr.

"Is this an action coinciding with coitus that Leonard and Wolowitz refer to as 'petting'?" Sheldon muttered.

Kate broke the kiss and said coolly, "Sheldon, honey, please don't bring those two in this situation. I'm attracted to you, not them."

Sheldon half-smiled.

"And I would half-agree with your inquiry, only because you're kneading, not petting," said Kate gently. She kissed him again and sighed deeply when she felt his palms lower underneath her bosom, but his thumbs circled her hardened mounds in intricate, perfect circles; how like Sheldon to trace shapes.

Hearing her pleasurable half-sigh-half-groans, Sheldon stated arrogantly, "I told you I was a fast learner, Kitten."

"Oh, and aren't I happy," Kate whispered. She kissed him harder this time. She pushed him on his back and he grunted with the immediate impact; her legs straddled his waist, and she sat on the base of his groin.

"I'm not comfortable with this," Sheldon stated.

"Don't worry; not a lot of men are," Kate replied. She lowered herself onto him and said softly, "I'm going to educate you on what it's like to lose a little control. But,"—she kissed him tenderly on his mouth— "You're going to have to trust me."

"Trusting you is a give and take transaction," Sheldon remarked business-like.

"I've been right so far, genius," Kate stated coolly. She lowered her hands on his chest then to his stomach, and then between her hips and his. He flinched at her touch.

"My statement stands alone," said Sheldon quietly, his nerves already wracked with anxiety.

"Sheldon," Kate said, sighing. "I'm a medical doctor with appraised credentials and I've won a Nobel Peace Prize for medicine. Knowing this, your mind should tell you that your one moment of losing control will only benefit you, not disable."

"I disagree," said Sheldon. "But..." He saw her sweet smile. "On the promise you won't dismember me in any way or cause me habitual or health-related harm, I'm willing to spare my slightest acquisition of uncertainty for this given moment."

Kate grinned broadly. She kissed his neck and in his ear, she murmured, "Just close your eyes, and, as hard it is for you to do, don't think."

"Extremely difficult, but I'll attempt." Sheldon stated.

Kate smiled and she moved her hand over the bulge in his pants. He pursed his lips, wiling to say nothing but Kate knew him better. She was making him feel uncomfortable. That was for certain. Still, she was certain for another thing. Knowing so, Kate touched her lips to his and he found this to be familiar territory.

When he began to kiss her, Kate's hand moved up to his stomach and then under his chino pants. His quiet whimper was heard, despite the adverted kiss.

"It's okay," Kate murmured. She felt him through his briefs, and Kate smirked when she felt his size, his hardening in her hand, despite his arousal preempted. In her opinion, as was proven, height was proportionate to sexual endowment, for Kate was burning in her loins to know what it felt for him to be against her, or even more tantalizing...inside her.

"I'm very, _very_ uncomfortable, Kate," said Sheldon quietly.

"I know," Kate remarked. "If you stop me now, Sheldon, you'll always be uncomfortable."

Sheldon looked at her boldly, his brain turning cogs. Finally, he sighed and said with a courageous sigh, "Fine. Continue your ministrations but I swear to you, if this gets interrupted I'm going to assign a forever-banished clause to my rule book."

Kate smirked at him and said quietly, "Don't worry." She pressed her hand on his base and he moaned in pleasure and in frustration. "I'll kill them if they do."

Sheldon was at her mercy when Kate lowered her hand in his briefs; her fingers stroked his shaft, to the base and then the tip. All the while, Sheldon's grip on her sides was magnanimously vice. Kate could hear him whimper, despite his pleasure he no doubt experienced. Kate kissed his neck, murmuring gentle words.

"Kate, it's really not helping at all," Sheldon stated curtly. Kate glanced at him; beads of sweat rolled down his face and neck. His face was pink, his breathing was erratic. Kate withdrew her hand and lowered her lips to his ear.

"Do you trust me, Sheldon?"

"Emphatically, yes." Sheldon replied breathlessly.

"Alright, then you'll understand me when I say that I can release you from these baser urges, if you concede that it can be relinquished by having coitus." Kate whispered.

Sheldon looked at her.

"To be quite honest, Kitten, I see no other option around it." Sheldon stated.

Kate was shocked by his response. They exchanged glances and it was understood that what happened in the bedroom, stayed in the bedroom. Kate got off of him and he sat up. She watched him with interest and arousal as he stripped his short-sleeve shirt off first then the long-sleeve. Kate looked at him, her eyes were practically wide from hunger. He definitely had an explanation for the strength he'd demonstrated whilst pinning her down; his arms, chest, and stomach were defined.

Kate looked at him pointedly and the two were at odds. Kate kissed him urgently, her desire was incredulously great. She wanted him more than anything. In spite of their eyes being closed, it was more than unlikely that the two fell off the bed. Kate hit the ground and she giggled. However, her male counterpart was serious.

He picked her up by the shoulders and pushed her against the wall; Kate grunted with the impact, and was astonished. Sheldon contained his impulses and need so long that he was now expelling it all out on her; Kate was more than happy about that.

Kate watched him pull down his pants and briefs; his urgency was definitely lacking in self-consciousness and over all Sheldon-ish behavior. Kate was even more stunned when he slid her pants and panties down her legs without so much as any hesitation.

"Wow," Kate gasped. Talk about animalistic!

Kate moaned loudly when he touched the back of her knees and hiked them upwards around his waist, securing her around him while he pushed her against the wall. Kate smiled at him, her mouth opening his heightened arousal and awe.

"Sheldon," she pleaded. "Please...I can't take it." She looked hungrily at him, her heart was racing , dangerously fast. She felt wet between her legs, and the desire was overtaking...and overwhelming.

"I know you think you're a man who can control his baser urges," Kate murmured. But it didn't seem like she needed to persuade him more as he pushed a deep and intense kiss to muffle her.

"I don't mean to interrupt, Kate, but we're completely pass biological destitute," Sheldon breathed.

He grunted quietly when he pushed into her and Kate exhaled in pain and pleasure. The first three thrusts were repositioning and Kate's whimper; Sheldon pushed from the wall and moved them on the bed; she moaned when gravity and physics took over, and friction became a baser factor.

"Oh my god," Kate gasped; her breath hitched when she felt him completely fill inside her. Sheldon was in the same composition, although it took a few more times to continue a pace befitting he and Kate; Kate moaned painfully, her fingernails digging into his shoulders.

"Are you all right, Kitten?" Sheldon panted.

"I'm fine, keep going," Kate murmured. She inhaled sharply, her teeth gritting when he quickened his pace. Her soft whimper was indicative of pain but Sheldon had the slightest idea that it was partly because she felt what he felt: it was getting worse, but it was getting better.

"Oh, my...mmm," Kate breathed. Her back slid up and down against the comforter; Sheldon watched her writhe underneath him. She seemed to lose all restraint as her sounds became louder, desirous, and, without a doubt—even to him—pleasurable. He, too, was reaching his peak, his mind, for once, becoming blurred, confused, but the instincts were slowly taking over.

Irrationality and logic became mixed—Sheldon wasn't unaware that he could feel Kate buckle underneath him; her fingertips dug into his back and it only enabled him to go deeper inside, harder, finding the animal and need within to finish whatever had been building within their chemistry for the past month.

He thought he could keep his restraint. That was until she practically screamed his name. That was his last straw, and he gave into it completely. Kate moaned loudly, her lips parting and her eyes rolled in the back of her head. Her back arched, and she contracted to him, holding him in place. Sheldon moaned in return, he had reached his own peak.

Sheldon lost whatever strength he'd managed to uphold and lowered himself onto her. Kate wiped her forehead with the palm of her hand. Sweat lingered on their bodies and Kate was breathing without control, without any containment. Sheldon exited from her and she sighed in small protest, feeling a little empty inside.

"Thank...god..." Kate said aloud.

"I agree," said Sheldon. He sat up and sighed.

The two exchanged looks and smiled briefly before Sheldon gathered his clothes quickly and left the room. Kate was kind of happy he'd done so. It was already awkward enough now that their base desires, for the moment, had been extinguished and now would postpone for the future. She felt better, a lot better.

Kate stood and dressed in different pajamas, not even bothering to put on panties or a bra. She smiled and went back to bed, treasuring the moment, and re-living every detail. Oh, delectable primitive urges.


	52. (53) Motherly Direction

Chapter fifty-three: Motherly Direction

Sheldon woke up at exactly six-fifteen, with any normal given day. His alarm had gone off a few second after he'd already woken up and he turned it off promptly. He sat up and turned, shifting his weight but there was a slight difference for this morning than the past years of waking up at exactly six-fifteen in the morning. Mainly, a physiological difference. Sheldon felt a little sore, and his memory served him the reason why. The last night's escapade was explanation enough; he knew the physical wear of last night's vigor had caused him the numbed feeling in his thighs and the soreness was obvious.

Sheldon also noticed he was more...awake, than usual. After some reflection, he also realized that he'd never had such a good sleep before, and although he had many comparable mornings of good moods, this was above all of them combined. He stood, and wrapped his matching black-n-white plaid robe around him and slipped on his house shoes. He closed his bedroom door with a click and walked down the hall. He heard Kate talking to someone—or something—as he entered the mid-way between the living room and kitchen. Seeing her on her cell phone made him feel relief beyond measure; he didn't want morning company or the idea of Kate having lost her mind completely.

Seeing her dressed in pale blue scrubs with white shoes made him smile; although certain flashing images of last night's rebellious stage of his anatomy made like a warped Saw-montage, which made his face burn as though he'd sat in the sun a little too long during one of his Sunday one-hour sits in the park for fresh air.

Kate was multi-tasking: she was placing her keys and pens in the pockets of her scrubs, putting on her name badge and credentials, placing her stethoscope and sphygmomanometer (or in lament's terms, blood pressure cuff) into her red and white bag, which was no bigger than the khaki-colored bag Sheldon carried with him to and from places of work-related and/or fun-related places. While she did this, and numerous activities, she held her phone in her left hand.

"I'm fine, Mom," said Kate. Apparently, the conversation had just started. "No, I'm about to leave for work. I got up earlier than usual; I slept rather well..."

Sheldon breathed a sigh of relief. So it wasn't just he who felt a bit different today. He walked quietly into the kitchen and took down his rewarded Honey Puffs cereal; the contribution and sacrifice he made last night to resolve the irritating urges he'd felt while around Kate had been conclusively awarded. He didn't have the regular discomfort that came when he saw Kate in elegant scrubs, but he noticed the attraction was still there, but he could ignore it easier.

"Mom, I'm a bit busy this Thanksgiving." Kate said. "I'm going to a Thanksgiving party with my friends and we're going to dress up." She rolled her eyes and added, "Not _that_ kind of dress-up; it has a theme, and I don't wear dresses that loose and visible."

Sheldon gave her an odd look from the table. Kate turned to get her red-and-white bag and saw him in return. Their eyes met and Kate's cheeks tinged a glowing pink, which she cleared her throat and continued to talk to her mother. Kate watched Sheldon pour his Honey Puffs cereal; she walked to the refrigerator and took out the milk, opening it and pouring it in his bowl.

Sheldon mouthed, "Thank you".

"Mom, it's a tasteful party, not a jamboree hoedown. Good lord, we're in Pasadena, not the home of the heathen." Kate said in return. She looked at Sheldon pointedly and mouthed, "You're welcome".

Kate put the milk back where it was and closed the refrigerator.

"Mom, I'm going with friends. You know me, I have friends that are responsible, loyal, and altogether smart." Kate stated. She glanced at Sheldon and said as an afterthought, "Except my boyfriend; she's not smart."

Sheldon suddenly looked at her but smiled after Kate corrected, "He's a genius." Kate paused and then with another roll of her eyes, she stated, "Mom, I'll be fine. You don't have to worry about anything. The people that are going to be there are fine, they're...well, they're comic book nerds and sweet people."

Kate sighed heavily, and she looked at Sheldon who took a spoonful of honey puffs and ate it, smiling. Honey puffs were a delectable treat. She handed her phone in his direction.

"She wants to talk to you," mused Kate.

"Why?" Sheldon asked.

"She wants to make sure you know the rules about taking me to a party," Kate remarked.

Sheldon cleared his throat, placed his spoon in his bowl and took her phone in his right hand, placing it to his ear.

"Hello?" said Sheldon.

"Hello," said the other line.

Sheldon heard the voice and was astonished to hear such a calm woman on the other line. The voice was serene, having the same low register as Kate's.

"I'll be honest with you, Mrs. Burns," said Sheldon bluntly, "I have no illegitimacy towards your daughter. It's not a party we're attending in the aforementioned gathering."

At first, the woman on the other line had no response. Sheldon glanced at Kate nervously; although the mother of Kate Burns had no implicated threats of misfortune and doom ahead, the woman had a bit of an heir to her. She was not unlike the still calm spider that waits for his prey and when one becomes too daring, it kills. Sheldon felt like a fly, waiting.

"My daughter has told me a lot about you, Dr. Cooper. She's mentioned to me that you're above average where intelligence is concerned, having an IQ of 187, and two doctorates. It's impressive, I agree, but I have to keep you to the standards of the other boyfriends she's dated, in respects that I don't favor you or anyone else." Mrs. Burns stated; her voice was not unlike Beverly Hodfstater. "From another standpoint, I understand you to be an agnostic, bordering Atheist, in the whiles of religion, and being a Christian with high religious beliefs, your influence on Kate has become rather great, which I find troubling and if anything, deceitful, however unintentional, on your part."

Sheldon stared at Kate incredulously. It wasn't a surprise why Kate had a quarrel with her sometimes, and he could understand how Kate acted the way she did.

"Mrs. Burns..."

"I'm not finished," she stated curtly.

"I'm sorry," said Sheldon instantly.

"Lastly, Dr. Cooper, you seem to be a very quirky man, matching the easy-going quirks of my daughter. I've heard a lot about this so-called 'Roommate-Relationship Agreement'. Quite honestly, I don't see you as a threat of being a bad-boy misnomer, one whose intentions are to only hurt her emotionally and render her unstable. So,"-Mrs. Burns sighed on her end— "Saying all this, I don't think I have to worry about you cheating on her with another woman...or man?"

"Assuredly, you don't," said Sheldon. He added, "Why would I? Your daughter is an absolute delight."

"Don't flatter me, Sheldon Cooper," said Mrs. Burns. "I have no luxury in hearing you prattle on about how Kate makes a wonderful companion or how good she is in bed, or anything as remotely disturbing as the latter. I've heard enough of that from her past suitors."

Sheldon blushed a furious red and said awkwardly, "I apologize, Mrs. Burns."

"No need to," said Mrs Burns in a distant, cold voice. "I would only warn you that should anything remotely epidemic happen to my Kate that you will hold her to the highest regard of treatment, even if that means it will end in apocalyptic warfare."

Sheldon smiled and said dutifully, "I assure you that you have nothing to worry about."

"Good to hear. Now that I've made sure you're a good man for my daughter, I must ask the following questions: are you friends drug addicts of any kind?"

"Hardly," said Sheldon. "My friends are loyal and have no qualms with Kate, except for a certain hot-tempered shoulder bag who—"

Kate nabbed the phone and said quickly, "Chance is not a shoulder bag; she's having a current dispute with Sheldon and it's upset him emotionally so you'll have to disregard his exception."

Sheldon shook his head and ate his Honey Puffs. Kate exchanged reassuring words with her mother and then said with finality, "Yes, I'll look both ways when I cross the street and I'll lock my door before I leave my home. I'll be sure to tell him that...right...okay. Good bye mom...love you." She hit the end button and turned to Sheldon curiously.

"What?" said Sheldon.

"You and Chance are going to have to come to terms with one another, Sheldon," said Kate.

"Doubtful, Kitten; that woman's a complete..."

"Sheldon," warned Kate.

"Fine," he returned. He shook his head. "Anyway, what did you need to tell me?"

"Oh," said Kate, sitting in front of him on the stool across. "She wants you to know that if you wish to marry and impregnate me, you have her blessing because apparently your tall stature and impressive intelligence is the cure for the dismantled blockheads of our generation."

Sheldon coughed on his Honey Puffs. Kate chuckled at his reaction.

"Anyway," said Kate. "I've been called in early. I'll be working a double shift, so what I'll do is I'll drive you to work and in between shifts, I can drive you back home, then I'll go back to the hospital after I drop you off. When I get off work, I can bring home pizza, since it's Thursday."

Sheldon finished his honey puffs and crossed his arms on the table, looking at her curiously.

"Kate."

"Yes, Sheldon?" she returned, standing.

"I want to refer to last night as a point of conversation," said Sheldon, business-like."

Kate, who hadn't expected this, gazed at him in the stance between awkward and general surprise. She furrowed her eyes in suspicion but with a lax she sighed and sat down on the stool.

"Why?" she said.

"From my understanding, two people who've placed a sexual component in their relationship are scarcely informed about the night before, regarding satisfaction and communication, which can cause a brief stalemate in their relationship, which I've observed in Penny and Leonard's convention years ago while they had begun their to-and-fro experimentation," Sheldon explained. He gestured to her and said, "Because of this, I've considered pulling out the uncomfortable curiosity and asking you directly: Kate, did you enjoy last night's rigorous conduct?"

Kate stared at him; she never ceased to be amazed with Sheldon's direct honesty, no matter how interesting it made things. She smiled after a moment and said, "Well, um..." She crossed her arms on the table as he did. "I found it very satisfying."

"As did I," said Sheldon. He stated in remote calmness, "What I've observed prior to my waking is that I feel rather refreshed, almost like I've slept a metaphorical day whereas I've only slept my eight-hour quota."

Kate nodded and said, "Me too."

"What I don't understand is that despite my refreshing state of mind and overall physical rejuvenation I'm also quite sore, primarily in my lower physiological measures." Sheldon said. He gave her a slight glare and said, "I'm placing blame unto you for that misfortune. I'll stipulate to the fact that it's better than the feeling I've had for the past month prior to Wolowitz's consistent interruptions."

Kate smiled and said, "And yet even though you enjoyed the matter, I won't assume that my general touching you would change." She wiggled her fingers, adding, "I won't assume that phobias disappear through coitus."

"How right you are," said Sheldon. He handed her pocketed sanitizer and stated, "Rub this into your hands and then I may destitute the recent assumption."

"Don't be silly, Shelly," Kate said, smiling.

"You can read my like a book," Sheldon remarked, smiling as well. He apparently had no offense to her calling him what his mother and sister called him. Then again, they were alone. It was the same as he called her 'Kitten'.

Kate glanced at her watch and sighed.

"Kate," said Sheldon.

"Yes?"

"I'm going to ask you a question that may very well be offensive as it is in one's nature to partake in offense when one divulges a personal question inferring the relationship between a woman and her mother, so the phrase 'Don't be offended, but...' is useless." Sheldon said.

Kate tilted her head to the side, and nodded in agreement.

"So," said Sheldon, "Without ado, are you and your mother close?"

"Close?" repeated Kate. "In some ways, yes. Other than her impression that I'm a butcher rather than a surgeon, similar to Chance's impression, she and I agree on many things. Why?"

"She's fairly protective of you," Sheldon pointed out. "Do you ever presume it's because of your past connection with your father?"

Kate's smile faltered. "Sheldon, my dad abandoned my mom and me a long time ago. I've already accepted that my mother has a close attachment to me because of that. It's not a presumption; it's an absolute fact."

"I thought so," said Sheldon. "It's not uncommon for mothers to emotionally attach themselves to the stability of their fawn."

"Yes, I understand." Kate returned. She smiled and said, "But thank you for your preemptive warning of predicted offense. One can truly be offended by it."

"I know," said Sheldon. He clasped his hands. "Kate."

"Yes, Sheldon?"

"Are you perturbed by the laxative state our relationship has grown to, elevating the leniency of conversational material and the unmarked boundaries we've crossed, in spite of the Roommate-Relationship Agreement?"

Kate nodded and said, "Yes, I've noticed. Personally, I've not observed it from our interrogations, but from last night. It takes a great deal of trust for two people to engage in intercourse." She shrugged and said, "Especially you, who considers himself to be the Homo-Novus of the generation."

Sheldon gave her a sheepish grin and said, "As you've said, Kate; even Spock, a Homo-Novus himself, had to succumb to his human-based primitive biology."

Kate smiled, even though this was a way she'd convinced him to have sex with her, even if a more comfortable state.

"As comfortable as we are in conversing with each other about the activity, you and I have the condescending mob to tend to when they find out," said Kate. To Sheldon's incredulous look, she explained, "Rajesh and Chance have sex on a daily basis, and even I can tell without her saying so. What are the odds of her not knowing?"

Sheldon sighed and said, "I can't tell if you are being rhetorical or you want to do the math."

Kate looked up at the ceiling and said, "Would you want to do the math?"

"Yes," said Sheldon.

"Me too." Kate returned.

"Oh, good. Let me get ready for the morning's pursuing proclivities and we begin," said Sheldon. He stood to wash his bowl but Kate took it in return.

"I'll get it," said Kate.

He looked at her curiously and said, "I must say, Kate, it's a wonder how I ever was able to live with Leonard all these years and not have the sufficient treatment you've provided. It just makes me further realize how many times I've let him slide in the past."

Kate chuckled. She turned to the sink and Sheldon left to the bathroom.


	53. (54) The Hannibal Twisting

Chapter Fifty-Four

**Author's Note: **Thank you for your reviews; they're always appreciated. I hope the past two chapters have made up for the lacking fiftieth chapter. Apparently, my Microsoft Word was corrupted and I've had to download Open Office; the document had become encrypted and I couldn't open it with another system so it'll be lost but thankfully, it wasn't that big of a chapter. Anyway, continue to review and tell me how you think of Chance; she'll become a continuance character like Penny and Amy. :D

Just as expected, Kate was tired when she left the hospital. Feet hurting, body aching, and five surgeries, accompanied with the excessive complaints of the family, she had just about reached her point when she dropped by the pizza shop to get the orders. She made the order for Sheldon and they'd handed it the wrong order to her—no olives, so she repeated her order viciferously.

When the servers handed her a second order, this time they forgot another detail. Kate sighed and placed the pizza box back on the counter.

"What's wrong with it now?" snapped the server.

"What's wrong?" Kate countered coldly. "What's wrong is that twice you've gotten the order wrong and I've just finished working a damn sixteen hour shift which has resolved me of exhaustion and impatience. I'm not paying for this, or the previous one."

"Well, your order is too specific," said the server childishly.

"Too specific?" Kate repeated. She placed her hands on the counter and said angrily, "I'll tell you what's too specific: a heart transplant is too damn specific and too detailed to administer but I've managed to do a thousand of them in my long years of surgical residency. And you—"She pointed a harsh finger at the twenty-year old behind the counter— "can't even get a damn pizza right!"

"Woman, you better back off," threatened the girl. She was glaring, eyes blazing.

"Or what?" Kate challenged. "Hit me? Get a grip. While you're at it, get me your manager."

"Oh god, seriously? Just go to a different pizza spot! It's not that hard. Take your car and move it somewhere else," said the girl coldly. "You're being impossible."

"I disagree," Kate stated curtly. "You're being stupid."

"You're being stupid."

"I'm not the one stuck behind the counter, baking wrongly placed orders," snapped Kate. "I have a doctor's degree and a masters in medicine and surgical technologies, and I've won the Nobel Peace prize for it; who's the stupid one, now?"

The girl glared at her and said, "You know what, we don't need your money. Go the fuck somewhere else."

"Tough talk for an entry-level dolt," Kate hissed.

"Fuck off!"

Their loud voices had carried throughout the shop and finally, a professionally-dressed, smooth-looking man, hair combed back and wearing a tie, stepped behind the counter, looking alarmed and disturbed.

"What's going on here?" he demanded. He saw Kate and smiled immediately. "Dr. Burns!"

Kate and the girl looked at him curiously.

"Sorry, do I know you?" Kate replied.

"You don't, but I believe you know my mother; her name is Daisy; she's an ER nurse at the hospital? You work with her on numerous occasions, also owns a consignment shop just outside here!" The man exclaimed.

Kate smiled weakly and said, "I know your mother, I suppose. I've worked with her, yes. Who are you?"

"I'm her son; I'm Elijah, but knowing you, you can call me Eli," said Elijah, grinning broadly. He held out his hand to shake hers and she did so with ease.

"What's going on here?" asked Elijah, returning to the conversation at hand. He looked between the girl, who was glaring, and to Kate, who was in the middle of being assaulted verbally and yet also in the middle of being sweet and endearing.

"Well," said the girl, "your so-called friend called me 'stupid' and a 'dolt'."

Elijah raised his eyebrows and to Kate, he said, "What's going on, Doctor?"

Kate smiled coldly and explained the situation, that her order had been made wrong twice now and the girl had told her to fuck off. Elijah stared at Kate incredulously; she shrugged in response.

"Her words; not mine," Kate reminded.

"Shanna," said Elijah slowly, turning to her, "why did you tell her to...er...'fuck off'?"

"She called me 'stupid'." Shanna retorted.

"Shanna, go to the back room and wait for me," said Elijah. He turned to Kate and said, "I apologize for her behavior; truly, it doesn't surprise me. It's happened before; I should have done away with her long ago but I've never managed to have gotten the heart. Anyway, tell me the order and I'll personally tend to it."

Kate smiled gently and told him the order exactly as Sheldon had told her. When she'd finished, Elijah chuckled and said, "That's not your order, is it?"

"Sorry?"

"Mom's told me plenty of your, and beg my pardon when I say so, your erratic boyfriend. He's quite the handful, isn't he?"

"No different than other guys," Kate replied smoothly. "Anyway, it keeps him at bay."

"Understandable; my boyfriend is a little uptight as well," Elijah said. He smiled when Kate gave him a shy grin. She never knew how to respond to those who admitted openly to her that they preferred their own gender; she was fine with it; she just never knew what to say.

"Anyway," said Elijah. "You must've been waiting a long time so I'll get right to it."

It took approximately twenty minutes for the pizza to be made and when Kate was handed the pizza, Elijah chuckled and said, "I hope you understand that the reason there are no olives is because we've run out. Apparently, not only do my employees possess customer validation for verbal abuse, they also believe that stocking is illegit as well."

"It's fine," said Kate. She took the pizza and paid for it with cash.

"It's a pleasure meeting you, Doctor," said Elijah enthusiastically. He shook her hand firmly. "Always a pleasure meeting those who Daisy admits is properly accredited."

"Always nice to meet a fan," Kate responded modestly. He nodded to her with a smile and then left to discipline his young employee.

Kate drove the batmobile home and sat in the car a little longer before completely getting out to walk into the apartment. She felt tired, exhausted—she felt as though she couldn't even mood. Despite her incredible mood of feeling exponentially happy this morning, her tire was clear. Kate sighed deeply, taking the two boxes of pizza and getting out of the car. She winced when felt her knee slightly twist and the pain was immediate.

_See what you've done, Kate. Nicely done. _

Kate shook off the pain though she closed her car door and walked to the apartment, limping slightly. She opened the apartment building door and then looked up at the stairs with some bitterness and unresolved anger. Damn building with no elevator...damn, damn, damn...and so were her thoughts as she had gotten up the first flight of stairs. Her knee was undergoing excruciating pain.

Kate leaned against the wall. Knowing this was going to be the whole family dinner upbringing, Kate put her phone to her ear after dialing the number.

Penny picked up on the other line.

"Kate?" she said.

"Hey."

"So you finally nailed Sheldon, didn't you?" Penny said, her voice squeaky with mischief and obvious teasing—no doubt that she was in front of everyone, teasing Sheldon with her talk. "Or rather," she added with a giggle, "he nailed you."

"Penny," said Kate, her voice strained with pain and exhaustion.

"Kate, are you all right? Guys, shut up!" Penny said. Kate could hear them in the background, talking loudly and laughing. "Kate?"

"I'm downstairs."

"What's wrong?"

"I twisted my knee," Kate said. "Having trouble down here. Can you help me?"

"Did you get the pizza!" shouted a background voice, which Kate knew to be Leonard, to who Penny snapped, "Shut up, Leonard!"

Kate gritted her teeth and said, "Penny, please come down here. I can't hold the pizza and limp up the stairs at the same, no matter how versatile I am."

"All right, all right, give me one second, I'll be there." Penny said. "Do you want me to stay on the phone?"

"No, I'm not dying." Kate said. She stood up straight and in doing so, earned her a disciplinary sharp pain that caused her to fall to the floor, but she saved the pizza box. Hearing her sharp grunt, apparently, Penny had gone out the door quickly as she appeared above Kate in no later than two minutes.

Kate looked up at Penny, smiling wearily.

"Holy crap on a cracker; what happened?" Penny stated, glancing down at her.

"I fell," Kate stated obviously.

"I got that; how did you twist your knee?" Penny responded. She put her phone in her pocket and bent down. Shortly behind her was Chance, who wore an exotic flower in her hair and had smoky purple eye make up on, as well as black dress that looked a little overly seductive; half her chest could be seen and Kate wondered what Chance had been planning with Rajesh, aside from the most obvious.

"Wow, you look terrible," Chance pointed out.

"Thanks," muttered Kate.

"Don't be grudge-y. Then again," Chance stated afterwards while Penny picked up the pizza and she pulled up Kate, "you bedded Sheldon so in a way, you should be a bit grudge-y so go head, be grudge-y."

Kate stared at her and said, "I'm not grudge-y. I'm in pain."

"Wah, wah, wah," Chance said, shaking her head. "Get up here and stop complaining. A little pain never hurts anyone." With a mischievous tone, she added, "Unless you want it to."

"Oh, my god," scoffed Penny, "We don't need to hear that!"

"You don't have a choice," Chance replied smoothly. She placed Kate's arm around her shoulders and Penny did too. Penny held the pizza and the trio went up the stairs, slowly. Kate groaned.

"So," said Penny, smirking. "You finally put out the fire, didn't you? How'd that happen?"

"Ohhh no, I'm not saying a word," vowed Kate/ "Not at all."

"What a killjoy," said Chance, smirking. "Unless you want to do Hannibal Lecter's quid pro quo where you trade us something interesting for you personal life and we give you a psychiatric personification of Buffalo Bill?"

Penny stared at Chance and said, "That's just creepy."

"Nah, I admire the character." Chance stated with personal admiration. "I'd like to pick his brain."

"He'd pick your brain," Penny returned, "given the chance."

"I'd let him," Chance responded.

Kate glanced at Penny said pointedly, "You think I'm odd for being with Sheldon and yet Chance has volunteered her brain to be eaten by a serial killer."

Penny smiled and said, "That's why only Buddha will love her."

Chance smirked at Penny and Kate and they limped up the staircase.


	54. (55) Teasing Objections

Chapter Fifty-Five: Teasing Objections

_Author's Note: _Thank you for your reviews although I've noticed there's not a lot of exclamation about the chapter "Giving In". I thought it would have been a heart-stopper but oh well, lol. I digress. Hope everyone gets a kick out of his chapter, as will I.

Penny delivered the pizza on the table. Kate and Chance limped (Kate was officially unable to lift her knee as it rendered her pained) and the two came into the door, slightly falling. Chance lowered Kate on the middle cushion and Kate looked at Sheldon, who was red in the face, and a bit twitchy. Kate noticed this and turned to Chance curiously.

Leonard, Howard, and Rajesh (who was drinking a green grasshopper from his flask) were engaged in ruthless laughter about Sheldon and Kate's esponiage where sex had been concerned.

"Yeah," said Leonard, laughing, "I don't even think he realized what was going on until Kate said 'oh yeah, by the way, we're having sex'!"

Rajesh and Howard laughed loudly, bearing their stomachs as tears fell down from their eyes. Rajesh and Howard sat on the armchair (Rajesh on the arm of the armchair). Amy and Stuart were not present—apparently, they'd established a deeper meaning of their relationship to Kate's satisfaction. Kate and Chance had entered and saw that Sheldon was blushing madly.

"Wow," Howard gasped. He looked at Kate and said, "So, what finally did it for you, Kate?"

"Oh stop," Bernadette scolded from the kitchen; she was preparing drinks. She sounded like the former Mrs. Wolowitz, and this made Howard silence immediately.

Leonard was still giggling by himself, which Penny noted.

"Oh, Leonard, I think Sheldon has had enough teasing." Penny said kindly. She looked at Sheldon apologetically, saying, "Sorry, Sweetie. I guess you've eventually come to be one of us."

Leonard and Howard and Rajesh laughed at her pun and the three were in tears again. Kate shook her head. They seemed to die down when Penny handed Kate an ice pack, which brought her injury to attention and Kate and Sheldon's sex life out of the conversation. Leonard glanced at Kate.

"What happened to you?" questioned Leonard.

"Twisted my knee," Kate said.

"Is that recent or from last night?" Howard inquired, bouncing his eyebrows.

Bernadette strode into the living room from the kitchen and handed Sheldon an iced beverage of herbal tea, for which he thanked her plainly. Bernadette handed Kate an ice pack, and Kate bade her gratitude.

"Howie, I don't think it's appropriate to talk about Kate and Sheldon's sexual experience from last night right now," said Bernadette to Howard curtly. She gave Sheldon an apologetic look and added, "It's obviously making them embarrassed."

"Bernadette, did it ever occur to you that's the reason why we're doing it?" Leonard replied. Bernadette frowned.

"It has; which is why I'm telling you to stop," said Bernadette. "Besides, Kate's hurt and Sheldon's clearly not proud of it."

"I disagree," said Chance smoothly. She stood behind the couch and thanked Bernadette for the coke that she gave her. Chance, who'd never supported Sheldon made the entire group stare at her incredulously. At this point, the veternarian claimed, "I imagine that Cooper's very proud of what he's done. Being that Kate has no abhorrent comment to the teasing, it's only clear that he satisfied her very well in bed."

"Okay," said Howard uncomfortably, "Now I feel embarrassed."

Bernadette glanced at him pointedly but Chance, who had the feat for continuance of embarrassment offered no further relief as she added, "It's a bit of a sordid comparison compared to you, Howard, who's acclaimed prowess has never given Bernadette a reason to speak against your statements."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" asked Bernadette.

"I think she's saying, Bernadette, that you and Howard have satisfactory sex but not mind-blowing, so that's why you never say anything against his claims," Penny estimated. She grinned when Chance nodded.

"Are you saying I'm mediocre?" asked Howard incredulously. When Chance and Penny offered no response, he turned to Bernadette and said helplessly, "You don't ever say we have mind-blowing sex?"

Bernadette blushed, which made Chance smirk.

"I, on the other hand," said Chance lightly as she walked from the couch to where Rajesh sat on the arm of the chair, "can say otherwise." She gave Raj a tender kiss on his neck, at which Raj smirked.

"I don't think we need to hear this," Penny stated, glancing at Chance.

"Well," said Chance, "if everyone persists in making fun of Kate and Sheldon, I figure they do. It's another reason I actually bring up since Leonard seems to have the need to make fun. Yet,"-Chance smiled at Penny coolly— "You've never said anything about your escapades either."

"I'm not a kiss-and-tell," Penny reminded. When there was no other response, Penny glared at Leonard, who was guilty as charged.

Chance chuckled and said deviously, "Dance, my little puppets, dance."

What happened then was somewhat amusing. Howard and Bernadette were discussing why they never had mind-blowing sex; Leonard and Penny argued that Leonard was the kiss-and-tell and such things should never be told, despite Penny's occasional prospects of hinting to the girls that Leonard was good in bed, and that's one of the reasons why her bed broke. Chance and Rajesh were pretty much quiet, although their exchange of smiles and winks were obvious that they were enjoying themselves. Meanwhile, Sheldon was beside himself, still blushing.

"Sheldon," said Kate.

He looked at her.

"I have some news," said Kate. She pointed to the pizza. "There aren't any olives on it."

"Why not?" Sheldon replied; his face returned its normal color, forgetting the conversations around him as he was shocked by her first-time inability to get the proper order.

"After three pizzas, it's kind of hard to get it done," Kate replied.

"Why did you have three?"

"They forgot the olives on the first two," said Kate.

"Did you argue?"

"Yes."

"Viciferously?"

"Yes."

"Did you talk to the manager?"

"Yes."

"What did he say?"

"He apologized for the verbal abuse and told me that the reason they didn't have olives on the pizza was because the girls are stupid and didn't stock," Kate remarked.

"Why were you verbally abused?"

"Because I argued that the first two orders were insufficient," said Kate sweetly.

"What'd they say?"

"I was told to fuck off," said Kate smoothly.

"That's inappropriate."

"Those aren't my words."

"Did you get olives, then?" Sheldon inquired.

"No; they were out." Kate replied. "Like I said, the stockers were stupid."

"That's a shame," Sheldon returned. He handed her a napkin. "Napkin?"

"Thanks," said Kate, smiling.

"Wait!" Leonard said, stopping Penny in the middle of the argument. At this, Sheldon, Kate, Bernadette and Howard turned to him in response.

"What?" said Sheldon.

"She gets an order wrong and you give her one of your napkins and forget about the olives?" Leonard stated, apparently upset by this fact.

"Of course," said Sheldon. "She argued three times with the manager and was verbally abused. At this point, my mind tells me she's heard enough." He shook his head and said to Kate, "honestly, living with me after those years, Leonard would have learned."

"It's because she slept with him," Howard told Leonard. "All they need to do is call each other honey-bunch and then kiss."

Sheldon frowned at Howard, saying, "Why would we do that?"

"Because you all are like a real couple now," Penny said. She gave Sheldon an annoyed look and said, "You can't tell me you won't touch her or any of us, after you had sex."

Sheldon looked at her pointedly, saying, in return, "It was inevitable, Penny, and I don't agree with you; I can say that I won't touch any of you. Between the germs that's been acquired with whatever you all do in your own spare time, and those that hopped onto you before you came into the apartment and the dead ones that are falling off your dermal flesh, I can attest strongly I'm not having any contact what so ever."

Howard and Leonard stared at him, like he was some sort of alien.

"You're kidding me!" Howard said.

Sheldon stated sarcastically, "I'm sorry, but I don't recollect saying 'Bazinga'."

"You're not even going to hold hands?" Penny asked. She held Leonard's as an indicated initiative, which Leonard reciprocated. Sheldon and Kate glanced at each other.

"Do you wish to take this one?" asked Sheldon. "They tire me."

"Sure," Kate replied. She looked at Penny. "Science has proven that in the past few studies that while exchanging saliva through the act of kissing may very well be a direct transfer of mouth-hosting germs that the crucial transferring of germs is by hand-holding, which in essence, you spread germs less by kissing than you do by holding hands."

Leonard dropped his hand from Penny's and said happily, "Fine by me." He passed a quick kiss to Penny's lips and she smiled.

Rajesh and Chance switched glances and rolled their eyes. Howard stood and went to the kitchen, getting himself a gatorade. Bernadette watched after him.

"Can I ask something?" Chance said gently, sitting in Howard' seat and Raj sat beside her.

"Go 'head," Kate said.

"Can we see you all kiss?" asked Chance, smirking.

"Why would you say something like that?" Kate replied; her ignorance was showing.

"Oh come on," Leonard enthused. "We haven't seen you two remotely hold hands; I think it's awesome."

"Oh, grow up, Leonard," Sheldon scolded. "Just because you and Penny, Howard and Bernadette, and Raj and Chance make a point in demonstrating what hippies do in the spare time"-he inclined his head to Raj and Chance who were exchanging a small, but intimate, kiss—" gives no reason why Kate and I would participate in such lucid activities."

Chance stopped kissing Raj and said, "I don't see why not; it releases stress-reducing hormones. When one is stressed, one must relieve it; also, it acts a pain killer so 'I have a headache' isn't really a big ol' excuse like most people think."

Leonard pointedly smiled at Penny, who pouted her lips and said quietly, "Balls."

Howard came back from the kitchen and was immediately complaining about how Chance and Rajesh had taken his seat. In spite of it, Bernadette announced that Howard could sit with her on the floor; she'd taken a few blankets and placed them on the floor.

Penny snapped her fingers excitedly and said, "you know what we should do?"

"Be quiet and forget this entire conversation never existed?" Sheldon offered apathetically.

"No!" Penny replied. She dismissed his suggestion and said happily, "We should have like a big sleepover."

"Why?" asked Sheldon.

"Because, it'll be fun?" Penny offered.

"Hold on," Rajesh stated, "No way am I spending the night with Sheldon."

Chance looked at him and said seductively, "Don't think of it as spending the night with Sheldon, as you will be spending the night with _me_." Rajesh glanced at her and then with a thoughtful gaze said finally, "Actually, Penny, that sounds like a great idea."

"It won't work," Howard muttered.

"Why not?" asked Penny.

"Because of him," Howard said, pointing to Sheldon. "All he'll do is whine and we'll have to frigging suffer through."

Bernadette was in her prime as she said with a loving caress, "Don't think of it as suffering with Sheldon; think of it as suffering with me."

Howard smiled perkily and said happily, "Good idea, Penny."

"Now hold on," said Sheldon. He placed his tea on the coffee table, on a coaster, of course. "This is completely an impromptu suggestion..."

"Here we go," Leonard said aloud, heaving a big sigh. Everyone groaned.

"Look," said Sheldon, "I'm not saying that I disagree with this whole idea..."

"You aren't?" Penny replied incredulously.

Sheldon stopped himself and said after a pause, "All right; I am disagreeing with the entirety of a large group of people spending the night."

"Why?" said Penny. "Haven't you ever slept over at someone's house just to have fun?"

"I don't remember doing anything of the like, therefore, the answer is simply 'no'." Sheldon said coolly. He gesticulated as he spoke, emphasizing his objection: "First off, the planning that goes into a sleep over is tedious and refers to complex, derivative compilations to keep one entertained, which includes a marathon of movie's aligned in genre—"

"What are you complaining about?" Penny interjected. "You've had plenty of those; what about your all-night star wars marathons or your online gaming crap that you, Leonard, Raj, and Howard have regularly done? Or that Halo Night crap I have to put up with?"

"What do you mean 'put up with'?" Leonard stated, looking at her, suddenly startled. "You said you enjoyed it that one night."

"I've said a lot of things, Sweetie," Penny returned.

"Not the point," Sheldon interrupted before Leonard opened his mouth to talk again—it was probably for the best. "The fact remains is that there poses no threat or instigation why a large group of people, namely all of us, including Kate, would need to sleep in one place, which is what hippies do."

Rajesh turned on the television, perhaps to purposely drown out Sheldon's whining but the news, which was on, had become the prime moment of attention, for the newscaster explained that there were black-outs happening all over California, majorly the Pasadena city, due to the company's recently hired electricians, resulting in power outages.

"Well," said Raj, "if it's a suggestion, we could all stay here in case the power goes out."

"It's ridiculous that the whole city's power could be going out," Sheldon stated. "How could a group of electricians blow out the—"

Just as he spoke, the power, including the television and the lights, went out simultaneously, leaving them all in a pit of darkness, except their iphones as they all turned them on in order to see each other.

"All right," said Sheldon conclusively. "I suppose as the staircases would imply a certain hazardous obstacle of leaving the building, we're having—dare I say it—a sleepover."

Everyone glanced at each other, although they seemed less happy about it.

"Wonderful," Howard muttered weakly.


	55. (56) Oxytocin Mathematical Application

Chapter 56: The Oxytocin Mathematical Application

Author's Note: Improvising this whole story...need to know what you all think of Chance? Should I keep her in the story or is it time to let her go? Read and Review, my lovelies :)

Kate was bent over the kitchen counter, testing her knee, lifting and lowering her legs is small motions. Around her, the group was mastering comfort as they prepared a long night/and possibly a long morning's wait of the power to come back on. All of them were given duties, naturally, by Sheldon, who refused to move as he worried about bumping his leg or bumping into a person while trying to move around in the dark apartment. While everyone moved with the small lights of their phones to guide them, Kate was against the counter, trying to obtain some sort of diagnosis; so far she'd realized that her knee was not twisted, merely a small swelling, indicative of having overworked her ligaments. She was mentally slapping herself. She heard them all talking.

"Did you get the candles?" Penny's voice was heard.

Leonard's voice returned quietly, "Yeah; your apartment's hard to move in though. Might want to clean it after we're done with all of this."

"Unlikely," Penny told him in return.

Howard's voice was heard, saying, "I have the blankets and pillows from the closet."

"What are we going to do for the refrigerator? All the food will spoil," said Leonard.

Kate said simply, "Nothing will spoil. Sheldon and I made a back-up generator for the refrigerator in case something like this had happened."

"Why isn't it working?" Rajesh was heard inquiring.

"Give it time," said Kate. She straightened, saying, "Meanwhile, the only thing in there that will spoil may be the milk."

"No doubt it will ruin my morning," Sheldon noted.

"What are you talking about?" Kate replied. "Tomorrow is French Toast day."

Sheldon seemed to register this and said, "Oh, you're right, Kate. Thank you. My, I think this darkness has made my consciousness practically useless."

Kate heard the slight unnerving in his voice and she walked into the living room. She sat on the middle cushion and took his hand in hers.

"What are you doing?" Sheldon replied.

"Giving you moral support, per the Hand-holding article, the clause for moral support." Kate said smoothly. She felt a certain rush of adrenaline when he gave her hand a squeeze.

"Oh, Kate," Chance said from Kate's right; the woman sat on the cushion beside her. "I don't know how you're able to deal with that contract. It's too strict for me. I'm a free woman."

"Free is one way to describe it," Howard's voice was heard.

"Howard, that's inappropriate." Bernadette said from behind the couch.

"Just saying; she puts it out there," he returned defensively.

"I don't put anything out anywhere," Chance could be heard saying angrily. "I'm not a slut."

"No one claimed you were," Howard returned. "Wearing that dress though, it's not giving much to the imagination."

"Why are you even looking?" Bernadette inquired; her voice had a tinge of hurt, even jealousy.

Kate scooted a bit away from Chance and the woman behind the couch; her thigh touched Sheldon's and he seemed to notice.

"Sorry," Kate said when she knew too. "I prefer not to be hit if a war breaks out in this room."

Penny and Leonard's forms could be seen in the front of the room as they lit a match and lit candles all throughout the rooms. Five sat around the pizza box, and then five in the kitchen. Sheldon was tensely sitting on the edge of his seat, not comfortable with the unruly darkness of the room, and the darker figures that went around, arguing.

Penny sat in the armchair with Leonard; Rajesh and Chance laid on the floor on the blankets and pillows. Howard and Bernadette did the same, although not so comfortably as Howard was apologizing to Bernadette for his comments towards Chance...and Penny...and Kate.

Still, Kate could feel Sheldon's undertone of panic. She leaned into him and with her lips to the lobe of his ear, she sung in her softest and quietest voice, "Soft kitty, warm kitty, little ball of fur. Happy kitty, sleepy kitty, purr, purr, purr."

"I'm not sick," Sheldon said. " 'Soft kitty' is only a song for when you are sick, and I'm not sick."

"Being panicky in a black-out is a kind of sick," Kate whispered.

In the candle light, Sheldon looked at her and said, "Point taken." In spite of her calming voice and playful candor, he remained a bit unnerved; he refused to eat the pizza that sat in the middle of the table. While the couples spoke quietly to each other, Kate and Sheldon sat aside themselves, silent.

Kate, smiling, then turned to Sheldon. To the others around her, they could only hear an elegant foreign language whisper, saying his name at the end. Rajesh and Chance gave them odd looks but Sheldon remotely stared at her in incredulity (for she apparently never ceased to surprise him). After his shock wore off, he seemed to infinitely understand her.

Penny glanced up to see Kate and Sheldon holding hands. The language Kate spoke, in which Sheldon now returned, was also foreign to her, but even to her, she noticed the language was also elegant and beautiful. She turned to Leonard and said, "What the hell are they doing?"

"If I'm not mistaken, they're speaking a foreign language," Leonard returned sarcastically. He laid back down and smiled at her plainly.

"I know that, genius," Penny replied cynically. She gestured to them with her eyes and said, "Are they talking Klingon or whatever you all talk?"

"No," Howard hissed from the other side. He and Bernadette were cuddling and he said, "They're speaking in Elvish."

Penny looked at Leonard flatly saying, "You're kidding me."

Rajesh and Chance, who were now on the floor, making out, stopped doing so. They were beside Penny and Leonard on the floor. Rajesh held Chance in his arms. To Penny, he said, "Nope; they're talking in Sindarin."

"Sin-what?" Penny repeated.

"Sindarin—it's the dialect in which the Wood-Elves spoke."

"Wood elves?" repeated Penny.

Leonard chuckled, clarifying, "You know Legolas and Arwen, Aragorn..."

"Oh yeah, Aragorn, I know," said Penny, smirking. "What about it?"

"They all spoke in Sindarin, the language of the Wood Elves," said Leonard.

"Ah," said Penny. She shook her head and said, "Can you speak it?"

"No," Leonard replied. "I know Klingon." He wiggled his eyebrows in the candle light and said, "I could do that."

"Nah," said Penny. "Klingon and Elvish don't sound alike."

Howard chuckled at her statement but he said nothing as he made out with Bernadette.

Kate smiled at Sheldon and said in the Elvish tongue, _"Do you hear the mortals speak of us, Sheldon? They think we don't hear them." _

Sheldon said in reply, "_A more specific observation would be that they don't think _I_ hear them, Kate. How like mortals to underestimate the Elvish auditory nerves._"

Kate smiled.

"_Kate, I have something to give to you, as it is custom for us, specifically, in exchanging rarities that represent our choices and similar appraisal of mind and sentiments._" Sheldon murmured softly. He let go of her hand, as he seemed more calm.

Kate repeated his last words in Elvish, which earned curious, discreet glances from those on the floor, who seemed to attempt in having no idea what was happening but do the serious, and yet, meaningful tones above, their interest was there. Especially, when the blackness attempted to hide them. Chance glanced from Rajesh's mouth to see that Kate was sitting with her leg closest to the couch tucked under her; Sheldon mirrored her.

Sheldon looked at Kate. She saw his gaze and the dark tint of his eyes mirrored those that she'd seen when they'd been lost in their desire for one another.

Kate glanced at the floor to see that all three couple were glancing oversuspicious. Seeing Kate's slightly glint of knowing, they all reverted to kissing (half-willingly, half wanting to be involved so that further suspicion could be overlooked).

"Sheldon," said Kate gently. "What do you mean by 'sentiments'?"

Sheldon was a bit hesitant and then pulled something out from underneath the arm of the couch. Kate watched him, curious about his weird behavior.

"Kate," he said quietly. "Open your hand."

"Open...sure," said Kate quickly. She did so with her palm upwards.

"Kate," said Sheldon softly. He placed a trinket in her hand and automatically, she seemed to know it was a necklace already. The chain gathered in her palm.

"Sheldon, if this is because we had sex and you have this idea to..."

Sheldon stopped her, placing a finger over his mouth as though to hush her. She nodded. She cleared her throat with a thought and said in the continued Sindarin, "_If you're giving me a trinket because you have this feeling, like..._"

At this, Sheldon stopped her again, holding his hand up vertically. Kate silenced. The candle light gave off a warm, orange glint, the shadows casting. Her eyes met his.

"_This is not a symbol of anything more than the understanding of a single value of a treasure the Elves __considered to be one of value and beauty,_" Sheldon muttered in Elvish. He placed the trinket in her hand and then closed her fingers over it.

Kate glanced at her closed hand.

"Sheldon," she muttered.

"_It's a gift_," said Sheldon quietly.

Kate was distracted by the foreign tongue he spoke. The Elvish sounded pretty to her when Legolas or Arwen spoke it, the dialect pleasing to the ear as well as the sound on her lips but when Sheldon spoke it, god, it was so beautiful.

Kate opened her hand and saw the trinket to be the 'Evenstar', from the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in which Arwen gave to Aragorn as a reminder of her love before he went to fight for Middle-Earth. Her hand was opened in extension, as the sobriquet gleamed colors in the candle light.

Kate's mouth dropped.

"Sheldon," she whispered, her face in awe and shock.

At this point, Penny stood and said "I don't know what that is, or what you all just said, but OH MY GOD, that's so sweet!"

The other five stood. Chance skipped to sit beside Kate and looked at the sobriquet.

"What is it?" said Penny, looking at it from behind the couch.

"What is it?" repeated Sheldon. "It's the Evenstar, or the Evening Star, which was given to Arwen Undomniel, the daughter of Elrond and granddaughter of Galadriel, for she was the most beautiful of her generation of the High-Elves in Middle-Earth."

Penny smirked and said to Leonard in a bit affronted tone, "And all you gave me was the One Ring which meant evil for all." She added with an undertone of bitterness, "I didn't even get to keep it."

"Actually," Sheldon intervened, "It's the One Ring of Power, which controls the other rings."

"So," said Chance, "as this was given to Aragorn for a reminder of his love, are you saying you love Kate?"

"I wouldn't say that," Kate returned quickly as to keep Sheldon out of the hot spot. She smiled and said, "after all, he said it was a symbol of the sentiments we have towards one another."

"Is that what you all were saying?" Penny returned. "You went on Elf-y that we couldn't make out a single word. Although, Howard suggested that Klingon was just as efficient."

"Not 'efficient'," said Howard. " 'Beautiful'."

"I disagree," said Sheldon smoothly. He smiled at Kate and said, "I believe the point of the Sindarin dialect of Elvish language was to conglomerate both the foreign tongue and exotic sounds to make the audience entranced by it, as to point out the further evolution and perfection of Elf kind."

"Thank you, Sheldon," Penny stated apathetically. She sighed and said, "Well, this is suddenly drab. We need something to do if we're going to be stuck in this place for the rest of the night."

"Not unless the power is rectified, in which case, all of you could leave," said Sheldon boldly.

Penny ignored him and said, "Let's play truth or dare."

Bernadette smiled and said, "Where's Amy when you need her to say something personal and make you uncomfortable?"

The group recognized the loss of discomfort, or in Kate and Sheldon's consideration, the loss of a similar comrade. Yeah, they missed Amy Farrah Fowler.

"We can make a Batman animated:series marathon on a DVD portable," suggested Kate, smiling.

"Won't work," said Howard.

"Why not?" Kate remarked.

"Portable's out of batteries."

"Why's that?"

"I borrowed it and didn't put batteries in it," Howard said sadly.

"Strike one," Kate stated.

"Whoa, what?" said Leonard, Howard, Rajesh, and Penny immediately. Sheldon glanced at Kate who was hooking the clasp around her neck. The Evenstar fell just above her cleavage. When Kate couldn't get it, Sheldon made a gesture with his finger for her to turn around and she did so, lifting her long blonde hair to one side of her shoulder. Sheldon was in the process of hooking her necklace, the white gold chain glimmered in the candle light.

"Strike one?" repeated Howard.

"Yes," said Kate, lifting her eyes to see him. "I'm making a point. Per the Roommate agreement, I'm not able to allocate strikes nor rescind them. But it's a point. When you take out batteries or use them up, you're obliged to replace them."

Sheldon had a smirk on his face, but the others couldn't see it residing. However, his discreet motion of his fingers gliding in a small caress of her neck as he hooked the clasp didn't go unnoticed by Kate for she slightly shuddered at his touch, her small smile indicative of pleasure.

"Oh good," said Howard, relieved. He looked at Bernadette. "I already have two strikes. Another one and I'd have to take his class."

"Wait," said Leonard. He looked at Sheldon as he sat on the armchair. "Have you ever given Kate a strike?"

"No," said Sheldon.

Kate smirked and said sweetly, "I have a clean record."

"Is that because you slept with him?" Howard accused.

"Oh, good grief," said Sheldon in disgust. "Is that going to be your fall-back on everything?"

"Personally," said Howard, "I think it's fun tormenting you with the notion that you exchanged bodily fluids with a human."

"Technically," Kate returned, gesturing to her necklace, "_I'm_ an Elf."

"Are you immortal?" replied Leonard sarcastically.

"Of course not," Sheldon said. Apparently he didn't catch the sarcasm for he added, "Kate's as human as any of you." He smiled in spite of himself, saying, "Although, I've wondered otherwise."

Howard smirked and said, "Because you've slept with her?"

"Really, Howard?" said Penny. "Really?"

"Well," said Chance, "that would explain why Sheldon isn't embarrassed to have slept with her."

"Okay," said Kate loudly, "new subject, _please_."

The group quieted and then Bernadette stood and smiled.

"We can all have an orgy and make out with each other!" She suggested.

They all stared at her and then Penny said, "Different idea!"

"We all go to bed and make out with our chosen companions," Chance suggested.

"Like it, love it, let's do it," Howard said immediately. "Where's everyone going to sleep?"

At that moment, Sheldon advised a twenty-minute planned session over who would sleep where but then Kate reminded him that he still had his bed, and he could sleep there. Sheldon thought about it and smiled, saying, "Oh right."

"Well," said Raj, "I don't mind sleeping on the floor; in India, you're lucky to have a wooden surface and a rock."

"Oh cut the third-class crap," Howard said, "your father's a gynecologist; your family owns servants and your dad drives a Bentley."

"It's a lease," Rajesh corrected.

Kate noticed that Chance was smiling broadly. Apparently, Chance knew that Rajesh was wealthy in India and it was part of the reason she was with him, aside from foreign and exotic reasons. Kate looked at Sheldon.

"I can't sleep on the floor," Bernadette said gently. "I'll have cramps in the morning."

"Why, you were on the floor earlier," said Penny.

"I know, but that's just to make out. If it's going to be an all-nighter thing, I ought to sleep in a bed," said Bernadette.

"We can take Kate's bed if she sleeps with Sheldon," Howard suggested. He grinned broadly at Kate, who glared at him.

"I wouldn't trust you in my doorway," Kate stated.

"Don't worry," said Bernadette. "I'll keep him in line."

Sheldon looked at Kate, who automatically knew what he was thinking.

"I can sleep on the couch, Sheldon," said Kate gently. "I know how you are about sharing a bed."

"You didn't share a bed when you were done with sex?" asked Leonard curiously.

Kate closed her eyes, agonizing over the fact she opened that can of worms. She wrung her hands in exasperation and said with resolution, "I'm not going to explain myself or for Sheldon what we do before, during, or after coitus. That's practically none of your business, and secondly, I'm tired of it."

"I won't object to you sharing my bed as long as I remain in the middle," Sheldon said, although he was unconvinced of even what he was doing.

"Sheldon," said Penny endearingly, "that's mighty big of you to say that."

"And I won't say it again," Sheldon noted seriously. He glanced at Kate. "So take it while you can."

Kate smiled inwardly and said, "I will." She looked at Bernadette and said with a tone reflecting her mother's seriousness, "I swear though, if you have sex in my bed I'm going to be extremely pissed."

"No sex?" Howard said sadly. "God..."

"Now, Howie, we can go without sex for a day, I think. After all, I am tired," said Bernadette. She stretched with a small yawn that sounded, even for her, high-pitched.

The others were resolved as well. Chance and Rajesh remained on the floor. Leonard and Penny, with the argument that they had agreed to a sleepover were overall forced to take the couch as they needed to stay in the apartment and not sleep in their actual home. Howard and Bernadette (Howard being the reluctant one) went to Kate's room and they closed the door, not before Kate took her pajamas from her dresser and walked into the bathroom to change. She knocked on Sheldon's door and he answered from behind it.

"Who is it?"

"It's Kate," said Kate, smiling.

"Come."

Kate opened the door and saw Sheldon sitting on the side of the bed, holding the Green Lantern lantern, it was the light that guided him to take off his house slippers. Kate wore her familiar black Batman pajamas and a spaghetti-strapped shirt underneathe. Seeing her, Sheldon gave her a look, it was as unfathomable as the Green Lantern lantern's existence. He watched her come into the bedroom but not before taking hand-sanitizer and rubbing it down her arms, hands, even her neck and face. He gazed at her curiously.

"What are you doing?" Sheldon asked.

"I'm being more hygienic." Kate replied. She sat on the right side of his bed. Sheldon looked at her.

"Did you take a shower?" he asked.

"Yes. Why?"

"You've changed your shampoo. Instead of smelling like apples and grapes, your hair has a fragrance of eucalyptus trees and cinnamon." Sheldon noted.

Kate smiled, touched by his observation.

"I changed it," returned Kate.

"I don't like it," Sheldon said. "You may want to return to the original."

"For you," Kate responded elusively, "I will."

"Thank you," Sheldon returned. He pulled down the covers and when he moved them back upwards, Kate remained on her promised side of the bed, making sure he remained in the middle.

"If Howard messes up my bed, I'll kill him," Kate muttered.

"If he does, and you proceed to do so, we can use the torture of water-boarding," said Sheldon smoothly. Kate turned her head to look at him; he was still sitting up, perhaps getting in a right position.

"Water-boarding?" Kate repeated curiously.

"Yes," said Sheldon. "It's the torture in which the military uses as an instrument of persuasion in order to get the enemy to reveal plans or future plots. One would lay down and the torturer would persistantly pour water on the victim's face to replicate the fear of drowning through suffocation."

Kate stared at him and said, "That's a little over-the-top, don't you think?"

"So is murder," Sheldon said practically.

Kate nodded, returning pleasantly, "Point taken."

Sheldon then looked at her and said, "Kate, will you move two inches to your left?"

Without questioning, she did so and said, "I'm not an expert in mathematics; was that about two inches?"

"Yes, exact." Sheldon said. He shifted and smiled pleasantly, stating, "That's more like it."

Kate turned on her left and felt him shift his weight so he was lying down. Knowing he was behind her, made her fingers tingle and the pleasure in her stomach to increase. Her mind raced with images of what could happen between them, but she scolded herself, knowing better.

"Kate."

"Yes, Sheldon?"

"Are you satisfied with the distance between us, because I'm a bit paranoid at the chance you may fall on her face," Sheldon stated.

Kate chuckled and switched sides, seeing his eyes looking straight into hers.

"Are you implying that you don't care if I snuggled with you?" Kate asked quietly.

Sheldon gave her a hesitant glance.

"I'm implying, now you infer." Sheldon stated.

"That depends, Sheldon." Kate replied. "Do you want to be my cuddle bunny?"

"That's not at all persuading," Sheldon stated.

"Who's persuading who, here?"

"You're right," he muttered. "Kate, this black-out is very unnerving. In order to rectify the anxiety I'm feeling, I'm implying that you and I...replace the distance with..."

"Sheldon, it's easy to say," Kate replied. "And before I do so, I want to hear you say it."

"You're being improbable, Kate," Sheldon returned, his voice hindering a bit annoyance.

She raised her eyebrows, whispering, "Am I? I want you to say it. What's improbable about that?"

Sheldon frowned and said, "The idea of asking me to coddle you is remotely disturbing and the ever more strange idea of the opposite is more demeaning than assuring. What other remote reason would you have to have me say it other than to have a certain dominance, giving me nothing more than humiliation?"

Kate smirked and said, "You caught on fast."

"I'm not stupid," Sheldon replied coolly. "I've learned from the last session."

"Implying we'll eventually have another?" Kate remarked smoothly.

"Implying, Kate, that like in the rules of multiplication where the identity property will always equal the number itself, the situation will become a recurring occurrence." Sheldon replied factitiously.

"That's close enough," Kate replied. She turned her back and then shifted in his direction so he remained in the middle of the bed but the physical distance between was gone. He placed his arm around her and Kate smiled widely when he did.

They laid in silence for a moment.

"Kate."

"Yes, Sheldon."

"Are you at all objecting to the idea of petting?"

Kate hitched a breath at the question, merely because it caught her by surprise. She turned to look at him, his hand incidentally lying on her left hip when she did.

"Petting?" repeated Kate.

Sheldon gazed at her and said after a pause, "I was reading the book Penny gave me last night, shortly after our intercourse and there's a defintion of petting involved which gives the man a feeling of power, and the female is supposed to..."

"Sheldon," said Kate smoothly.

Sheldon looked at her, relieved that he didn't have to go on. The talking made him uncomfortable. She shifted closer to him and with a smirk, she lowered her hand to his stomach and touched him just above his waistline. He gave her a look that reflected his authority; Kate loved it.

"Are you asking that what I can do to you just by simply touching you"-Kate grazed her fingers over his pants—"you'd like to do to me?" She smirked and added with a soft voice but the dark undertone of her desire spoke volumes: "In other words, as your book, claims it: 'petting'."

Sheldon gazed at her with the same look, took her hand from him and placed it towards her.

"Yes," he said.

"Your curiosity has been peaked by this darkness, hasn't it?" Kate assumed. "It's the black-out that's doing all of this."

"I assure you, it's not," said Sheldon seriously. He licked his lips as a movement and said plainly, "what Leonard, Howard, and Raj have discussed while you and the women are clucking in Penny's apartment are the various ways they've managed to obtain favors, despite the deceit." Sheldon stated as an afterthought, "My understanding is that in order for such odds to happen, I.E. where Leonard can achieve some success in getting what he wants from Penny must be an extraordinary amount of control."

Kate smiled half-heartedly, saying, "Are you telling me you want something?"

"No," said Sheldon seriously. "I'm not."

Kate gazed at him a little longer. Then she realized through his eyes, and his tone of voice that he wanted nothing at least tangible, or a favor of some kind like Leonard with getting away with no date night to play Halo. He must've used the 'petting' as a way to get Penny to say 'yes'. Kate thought that, itself, was a little unruly—smart, but unruly. However, Kate knew Sheldon's intention; he was curious about the control he'd have if the situation was permitted.

"You certainly are a control freak," Kate said simply.

"As you mentioned time and time again and yet it changes nothing," Sheldon pointed out.

"Well, I'll tell you that it's not out of the equation. It's not even sex, but a generalization of foreplay. Most people seem to do it more often than sex." Kate stated. She smiled and said, "Mainly because it's quicker and easier to do in an office."

Sheldon blinked at her.

"Why would anyone do it in an office?" Sheldon replied.

"Some people are kinky like that, honey." Kate responded.

Sheldon nodded after a moment of contemplation. Kate leaned forward and put her hand on his chest, saying briefly, "I'm fine with it, if you are."

Sheldon smiled. He moved his head and kissed her on the lips, a soft and tender notion. She returned it, kissing his upper lip. He sighed in slight annoyance.

"What?" Kate inquired.

"It's back." Sheldon muttered.

"What is?" Kate asked.

"Really, Kate? Do I have to specify?"

Kate smirked and said, "No, but I love it when you do." She kissed him harder on the mouth, and he returned it, holding the kiss longer. She heard him groan inwardly; her heart skipped a beat. Kate lied on her back as Sheldon touched his hand to her stomach.

When he gazed into her eyes again, Kate saw the mischievous curve of his smile on his face. She raised her hands above her head, in slight surrender, but her own mischief was clear. Sheldon moved her shirt upwards and his fingers lined her stomach, stroking her skin as though she was a furry pet.

Kate found the touching delightful.

"Sheldon," Kate murmured. She already felt the teasing; she wanted him now.

"Quiet, Kitten. Sheldon's busy." He replied in a low tone. He kissed her lips again, his tongue tracing her bottom lip for invitation. She gave none but his entry was immediate; there was that controlling bit of him again. Kate accepted him though, her tongue finding his. His right hand occupied her stomach, his fingers drifting slowly to her waistline.

The other moved behind her head, and drew his fingers through the curtain of long blonde hair. Kate moaned quietly.

"How are you doing this?" Kate muttered.

"Simple, Kitten. I read." Sheldon returned.

Kate gasped when he moved his hand down into her pants and glided over her black panties. She spread her legs voluntarily, wanting him more than anything to touch her. Sheldon kissed her neck and the notion made Kate moan again, her smile becoming parted lips in pleasure.

Sheldon half-smiled as Kate murmured something in a longing voice. He touched her between her legs, cupping over the thin material which was only a barrier to him.

"I never cared for kittens and cats being dressed in human made clothing," Sheldon muttered distractedly. "Not only is it tedious but they prefer to not even wear it." He sighed calmly.

Kate moved her hands and with his help, her pants and underwear slid down her legs, all the way to her ankles, which she wriggled to get away from the uncomfortable clothing. Kate felt him hesitate before touching her again. She tugged on his pajama shirt in need; so he did.

Sheldon kissed her softly on her neck then lips; she moaned his name when he moved his fingers over the lips of her desire; she was already wet from the images that flashed in her brain.

"Not unlike dogs," Sheldon said in a quiet voice, "kittens like the petting too. It makes them happy; their backs...arch." He pressed his hand on her, hard, so she instinctively arched her back to move her hips to his hand. Kate wondered if he knew he was making dirty talk, or perhaps this was banal chitchat.

"Mm!" Kate squealed

"Sheldon, stop the teasing," she hissed. She moved her hands to his face and pulled his mouth to hers, kissing him hard and passionate. The kiss only intensified when she felt two fingers slide in her sweet spot, causing her to gasp. She moaned his name, and Sheldon understood the power and control the guys talked about. No wonder why they could make their mate bow to whatever they requested: he could get Kate to do anything for him, even quit her job, probably.

"You may want to lower your voice, Kitten," Sheldon whispered. "I admire your vocalization but those around us may say otherwise."

Kate was about to retort until he moved his fingers inside, might as well drawing intricate designs inside her anatomy. Kate squirmed underneath him, her moans of desire, pleasure, and need muffled by Sheldon's mouth as she was enthralled by it.

"Sheldon, it's not enough," Kate pleaded. "I want you."

At this point, he was ready to give her anything as well. As she moaned and squirmed to his every movement, said his name with a tone most desirable, he had his own desire slowly growing. Sheldon stripped off his pants as he did with hers and without much hesitation this time, he moved on her. Kate yelped when his endowment pushed into her, a surprise that she continued to need readjustment to his size and girth.

Sheldon moved onto her, closer to her. Their chests touched and their stomachs did as well; meanwhile, their hips moved each other as the friction slowed, and the depth ever so increased. Kate involuntarily moaned a little too loudly when he moved into her G-spot, twice.

"Oh my god," Kate breathed. She spread her legs further to make it a better access. Sheldon grunted as he made another thrust inside her.

"M=f/N ." Kate muttered.

"What?" Sheldon repeated as he continued to move in and out of her. It was slow and rhythmic, but the pleasure made Kate gasp so now and often.

"The formula for solving the co-efficient of sliding friction," Kate murmured.

"I thought you didn't know math," said Sheldon.

"I know it. I'm not good at it," Kate replied quietly.

Her hips moved rhythmically to his but it seemed to get them no where. Her climax was peaking but never fully getting there and it was beyond annoying.

"What's your point?" Sheldon said breathlessly.

"N equals normal force which is the force of one object placed on one that's lying still, part of the frictional equation." Kate said. She moaned suddenly when he rubbed against the same g-spot. Sheldon smiled; thanks to his eidetic memory, he returned to the same position and she moaned again.

"I know what 'N' equals, Kate," said Sheldon. "What's your point?"

"It's this; if I stay still and you keep going, friction increases, and we find the co-efficient to be at full release." Kate stated softly.

Sheldon smirked and said, "Applying basic mathematics in a biological conflict is very impressive, Kitten." He kissed her deeply and said, "Sexy."

Kate gave him a warm smile and said resolutely, "So let's apply it." She sighed deeply and with some restraint she never knew, she attempted to stay completely still as Sheldon pushed inside her. He balanced himself on his elbows and Kate looked up at him. He began slow for good measure and when it increased in great result, Kate was at a fixed state. A few good thrusts and Kate was already halfway around the world; her moans were never-ceasing, if not more amped with urgency and need. When Sheldon entered for what he hoped was the last time, Kate's reaction was magnanimous; her back arched immediately, and her head was tossed back then moved in its place; Sheldon watched her lips part with pleasure and her eyes clenched shut. Her hands grabbed the sheets and left wrinkles in them when they finally released. Sheldon had come to his own climax, and he felt a physiological electric charge send through his body, not unlike one that had happened when he was trapped by the security electrified blanket Wolowitz had set up before.

Except this wasn't painful. It was beyond atheistically pleasing. Sheldon fell to the middle of the bed and laid on his back; the two were breathless, panting. Sheldon saw that Kate was still experiencing post-climactic spasms, her back would arch slightly; her lips were parted and her eyes were closed, occasionally rolling in the back of her head. After a minute, she sighed in complete relaxation.

"Wow," Kate muttered. "I love math." She smiled at him.

Sheldon shook his head. That kind of love was only under her oxytocin overdose.


	56. (57) The Bullying Differentation

Chapter Fifty-Seven: The Bullying Differentiation

Author's Note: I can't believe this story has almost sixty chapters. It just blows my mind; it was just going to be a one-shot at first, ha ha. Anyway, carry on :) Hope I get some reviews from my regular peeps but I'll be happy with a newcomer too! Hope you all enjoy reading as I enjoy writing!

Kate was awake; she could feel her consciousness and her senses revive. The state of being awake was lucid; acting as being awake was another. Before she acknowledged her alerted state, her senses were first activated by the steady breathing of a certain Homo-Novus behind her. She opened her eyes slowly and smiled when she remembered last night. Talk about vigor! Kate glanced down to see that she was clothed as was Sheldon behind her; they were snuggled together in the middle of the bed, sharing a pillow. Kate felt his arm around her, his hand on her belly.

She wondered how they had gotten dressed; her mind was a bit fuzzy on the after math, having been handled with care and precision last night. After the mind-numbing and muscle-spazzing release she had experienced last night, her memory seemed to be blocked, as though she have been drugged. Then again, she felt she'd been on a high cloud, the world spinning, an earthquake with the magnitude of nine. Kate smiled at the memory.

_The co-efficient for sliding friction. _Kate never thought she'd use mathematics and science in order to find the mind-altering orgasm she'd experienced last night. Then again, look who she had it with; Kate shifted her position and when she did, she heard Sheldon stir; he merely muttered in his sleep: "No, Mommy, don't take my griffin..." He pulled her closer to him and Kate suppressed a giggle.

Kate held out her arm to glance the wrist watch she wore and smiled. No wonder why she felt awake and he was still asleep; it was five-thirty. Accustomed to getting up early to work, Kate's sleep cycles were lacking in melatonin and definitely ruining whatever sleeping in she had planned. Then again, in another forty-five minutes, Sheldon would be waking up.

She shrugged and closed her eyes. Maybe she'd fall asleep...

Kate woke up to Sheldon's alarm and she yawned. Simultaneously, Sheldon and Kate sat up. They glanced at each other. Sheldon gave her a half-smile which Kate reciprocated. They didn't know what to say to each other, really. It was still awkward after the coitus; some conversation seemed due though.

"Good morning, Sheldon," Kate initiated.

"Good morning, Kate," Sheldon said.

With that, the two split ways, each across the bed. Kate stretched mindfully and felt well-rested. She flipped her hair over her head and with a few hand-brushing movements, she pulled it back into a ponytail and tossed her hair back behind her. She glanced to see that Sheldon was looking awkwardly at her. This only intrigued her

"What's wrong?" Kate inquired.

"Nothing," he said.

"Liar."

Sheldon gave her a look and said, "Sometimes, Kate, it's rather annoying how well you can see through me."

Kate smirked and said with a twirl of her wrist, "It goes both ways, honey."

Sheldon stood in his house slippers and then went into his closet, taking out his outfit for the day. He didn't even look, merely taking it from the hook (labeled the day of the week). It was Friday so he naturally took the Flash shirt with his plaid pants. Kate watched him: _what a creature of habit_.

"Sheldon," said Kate gently.

He looked at her.

"Yes?"

"I want you to know that by no means is it required that we do this again," said Kate reasonably. "Your bedroom, I mean. It was an easement of the situation."

Sheldon gave her a curious look, which Kate returned it because of it.

"What?" Kate replied.

Sheldon shook his head once and said, "It's nothing really. I'm just relieved that I never have to explain myself to you." With this said, he gave her a smile and opened the door, gesturing for her to go first. Kate thanked him and walked out.

As Sheldon exited after her, closing the door on his way out, Kate was in the bathroom first then out in ten minutes. When she passed Sheldon, he merely gave her a beaming grin; she'd changed her shampoo as he'd asked her to do last night back to strawberries and grapes, rather than the eucalyptus and cinnamon it had been originally.

After Kate had showered, her hair still a little wet from being towel-dried and matting to her bare shoulders (she wore a halter-top and white jeans today), Sheldon stepped in after her around eight o'clock. Kate saw that Leonard and Penny were entangled on the couch together, Penny snoring. On the floor, Rajesh and Chance were in the same manner, although Chance was lying on Raj whereas Leonard was lying on Penny. Kate gave them a few glances each then went to placing Honey Puffs and milk on the counter for Sheldon, and she was making pancakes.

When Sheldon walked into the kitchen around eight o'clock, he saw the breakfast prepared for him and sat on the stool, curious, but happy.

"You're certainly on the ball today, Kate," Sheldon stated, clasping his hands on the table.

Kate grinned at him, flipping a pancake to its golden brown color. She returned a small thanks with a wink and returned to her skilled pancake making. The smell awoke Chance, who stood up to her feet. She wore the dress she'd worn before—like she'd change in the apartment. Her dress was wrinkled a bit, and Kate noticed that there was the slightest fainted red marks on her neck; apparently, Rajesh and Chance had been doing their own relaxing.

She said nothing though as she watched her childhood friend step to the counter. The woman looked at Sheldon, who put his spoon in the bowl with a large grin on his face. Kate turned her back to them as she focused her peculiar skill on making pancakes. Chance had a smile on her face, but it was one of deep mischief. She sat on the stool beside Sheldon, who seemed to ignore her.

"So," drawled Chance. "Did you get a jive from last night, or was that your attempt to keep from crying like a girl all night?"

Sheldon stopped eating and gave her a startled look. He offered her no explanation, not even a retort, as he merely went back to eating his honey puffs, although he looked to have a great deal of discomfort. For one thing, his cheeks were pink, and he dared not look at Kate. He wasn't ashamed of being with Kate in bed, or anything he did with her (or to her) but Chance had a feat for vile embarrassment. Chance, who was apparently knowledgeable in this regard, smirked at him, knowingly.

"Let me guess," she said smoothly. "You and my friend, Kate, here, found the luxury of petting."

"Okay," Kate stated slowly. She placed a plate of three pancakes in front of Chance, who, at Kate's forbidden cool but firm tone, gazed at her with curiosity. Apparently, Chance saw no flaw in her personality, or morning's teasing. To Chance, it seemed that her teasing was playful, and amusing. To Kate, though, it was passing the line.

"What?" Chance remarked.

"You're being mean," stated Kate. She stood with her arms crossed and her weight on one leg. Sheldon remained quiet as the two women were clearly confronting each other. Although Kate exhibited all signs of becoming defensive, Chance merely smirked at her.

"Mean?" repeated Chance innocently. "I'm not mean, Kate. I'm being me." She looked at Sheldon, saying, "I'm sorry for asking about your frolicking activities in your bedroom. Might I add that, I don't know if you know it, but you were doing something that most people of your type would consider unhygienic. Sure hope you don't get anything from—"

Kate glared at her.

"Chance, that's enough!" Kate snapped.

Chance stopped and turned to her. Sheldon had stopped eating completely, placing his spoon slowly in the bowl, appearing a bit uneasy, a little ill. Chance looked at her curiously, a smile faltering.

"I'm just teasing him," Chance said, slightly offended. "No need to snap."

Kate's mouth dropped with surprise, replying coldly, "You're making him uncomfortable. Can't you see it?"

Chance chuckled, saying, "That's not all that I see, Kate. You and him had sex in the bedroom. A blind, deaf blockhead could understand that." She stood and went to get a fork from behind Kate, who stepped out of her way out of a kindness. When Chance returned to her pancakes, Sheldon glanced at her uneasily. He got out of his seat and stood at the refrigerator.

"Aw," mewed Chance darkly, "Sheldon, I was just kidding. Come back and sit next to me." She patted the seat beside her.

"I tentatively refuse," Sheldon told her quietly. He looked at Kate, saying, "She's being mean, Kate."

"I know," said Kate.

Chance rolled her eyes.

"What's with you two?" asked Chance. "I swear, your roles are completely reversed. Kate's supposed to be the one whining about how mean I'm being and Sheldon, you're the man, for crying out loud. Grow a pair, and be one."

"Chance!" Kate hissed.

"What?" challenged Chance. She stood and met Kate's height; the two girls were in front of each other, arms crossed and eyes blazing. "You're constantly standing up for him? What I don't understand is why? Doesn't his demanding behavior remotely get on your nerves, Kate? Does it annoy you at all like it annoys the rest of us?"

Kate frowned.

"So you're picking on him because you're annoyed with him?" Kate retorted.

"What did I ever do to you?" Sheldon questioned. He crossed his arms, mirroring Kate and Chance.

Chance rolled her eyes, stating firmly, "You think you're smarter than everyone, Cooper, but—"

"It's not a thought or an assumption, Chance; it's fact." Sheldon stated.

"Really?"

"Yes," Sheldon remarked flatly.

Chance frowned, saying, "You think your brain is so big that you are smarter than all of us put together?"

Sheldon gave her a condescending look and said boldly, stepping towards her, "Once again, I repeat myself and say that 'it's not an assumption, it's fact'. I know I'm smarter than all of you combined. Apparently, you are under a different impression, as this would be conceived that you spend most of your time in the stomachs of animals who have more intelligence in their bladders than you do in your brain."

Chance frowned, glaring at him. It was truly intimidating. Sheldon lost a little of his boldness when she stepped towards him and said in a loud voice (which stirred Penny, Leonard, and Rajesh in the living room), "YOU ARE INSUFFERABLE!"

Sheldon flinched at the volume of her voice. Kate stepped in front of him and said to Chance in an equally shrill voice, "DON'T YOU YELL AT HIM!"

Chance threw her hands up in the air with a frustrated sigh, stating coldly, "There it is, again, Kate! He just insulted me and you're yelling _at me_ for defending myself."

"I'm not yelling at you for defending yourself," Kate remarked angrily. "You're yelling at him"-she pointed to Sheldon behind her—"You're starting to really piss me off!"

With this, Kate stabbed Chance in the shoulder with her index finger. Chance, who was not above physical violence in her younger years, made a threatening move towards her, which resulted in Sheldon and Kate backing up simultaneously.

"You know what, Kate, I thought I could handle this stupid relationship you have with this lunatic," spat Chance, looking at Sheldon with disappointment, "but apparently, I was wrong. You're just as soft and fragile as the day I defended you from that bully. I figured we'd have settled our differences."

Kate crossed her arms.

"I'm not soft and fragile," Kate stated. "You defended me, sure, but now you're being the bully."

Chance laughed apathetically. It was wicked.

"Whatever," Chance muttered, shaking her head.

"What's going on?" Leonard muttered, sitting up. He and Penny stood and stepped in mid-way of the kitchen and living room. Rajesh, who was now sober, could say nothing but he wasn't a stranger, apparently, to Chance's violent tempers. In this case, he stood beside Penny, afraid to get anywhere near Chance.

"What's always happening," Chance replied to Leonard's question. She exchanged cold glances between herself and Kate before adding, "Sheldon's insulting me and _I'm_ the one that has to shut up."

Kate looked at her for a long time, as Penny and Leonard and Rajesh had really nothing to say. What could be said? Sheldon belittled everyone's work; it was just how he was.

"Chance, you're being dramatic," said Kate quietly.

"No, I'm speaking out," snarled Chance. "You enable Sheldon with his demanding attitude and his stupid, childish nature. You give him what he wants—shit, you work around your work to do what he wants! It's stupid, and you shouldn't have to!"

Sheldon gave Kate an innocent look. Was he wrong?

Despite her angry voice, Kate was not intimidated.

"You think I do this stuff because I _have to?"_

"Well," interjected Leonard awkwardly, "You are under obligation of the contract."

"Forget the contract," Kate told Leonard.

Leonard was slightly surprised, as was Penny, for her eyes widened in shock. Kate forgetting the contract was like saying Sheldon didn't even exist. Kate gazed at Chance coolly, despite her blotchy red neck and flaring nostrils.

"Get out, Chance." Kate said quietly.

This shocked everyone, although Sheldon was beside himself. Despite his vulnerable stance of being against the refrigerator with his arms crossed and downcast head, he was exonerating the smallest hint of relief from Kate's demand. Chance, however, was instantly repulsed by the idea.

"I'm your friend, Kate—before all of them." Chance said. She sounded, for once, hurt.

"You're my friend, yes, but you've become something entirely. Two years ago, you were sweet, and had a sense of humor."

"I still have a sense of humor."

"You have a bully's sense of humor. You're like all the girls that picked on me," said Kate quietly. She frowned—this wasn't anger showing, it was disappointment, perhaps a little more than that. "You taunt my boyfriend and you make him feel uncomfortable."

"So does everyone else!" Chance retorted, pointing at Penny, Rajesh, and Leonard.

"Not the way you do," said Kate.

"Yeah," Penny added from the sidelines, "you are a bit...overbearing."

"Overbear—please..." Chance muttered. She looked at Kate. "So what about everything we've done in the past? What about the party this Sunday?"

"She's right," interluded Leonard. "It's only two days away. And she's Bellatrix and Rajesh is supposed to be Voldemort."

"No need," said Kate. She gave Chance a meaningful, but sinister frown, saying, "She's Bellatrix in the making."

"Really?" Chance returned cynically. "That's your finish? That's your—"

"Get out, Chance."

Chance chuckled, saying, "Come on, we know how this will end, Kate. You'll be sad that I've left and you'll come crawling back to me like a lost puppy. You'll want to be my friend again, so let's just put this behind us"-Chance put her arm around Kate—"And forget about this whole thing."

"No," said Kate. She took Chance's arm and moved it away from her. "We're not friends anymore. Get out of my apartment."

"Really?" repeated Chance incredulously. "You're kicking me out?"

"Yes," said Kate. "I'm kicking you out." She glanced at Rajesh and said bitterly, "You're more than welcome to go with her."

Leonard, Penny, Kate, Chance, and Sheldon glanced at Rajesh in point but the Indian was shaking his head furtively. He wanted no part in this nasty break-up of a friendship; no way, he was saying without verbally saying it. No way.

"You're going to really regret this, Kate." Chance said. She sneered at Sheldon, saying, "I'll be back, and I'll hide a dirty sock in this place where you'll never find it!"

At this, Sheldon stared at her in horror.

Kate brushed past Chance, and opened the door.

"Get the _fuck_ out of my apartment." Kate stated icily.

Chance rolled her eyes, throwing her hands up in the air and walked out. Before she turned around and began to say something, Kate slammed the door hard enough that the apartment slightly shook. She turned to Leonard and Penny, who were standing beside each other, arms around each other's waist.

From his sack on the floor, Rajesh drank from the flask and said with a sadness, "I'll miss her."

"Why?" Penny remarked. "She's a bitch."

"But we had some great sex," Rajesh lamented.

Kate looked at him quizzically; Rajesh only shrugged, stating the matter remained. Sheldon was still beside himself, in the kitchen, arms crossed and eyes looking downward at the floor. Kate stood before him.

"Are you okay?" asked Kate gently.

"I'm going to have nightmares about that sock," Sheldon muttered.

Kate opened her arms and he entreated to them. She hugged him for a few seconds then broke it up as he thanked her quickly—for the hug and for the quick release. Kate opened the kitchen door and handed him a baby wipe. He thanked her again more practically, wiping his hands.

They then heard voices as Howard and Bernadette came out of the bedroom; Bernadette wore wrinkled clothes while Howard was only dressed in pants. He looked happy. Kate approached him, eyes burning and arms crossed.

"You had sex, didn't you?" asked Kate coldly. She looked at Howard pointedly, a reminder of what she had said before.

He shrugged, saying, "Well, Kate, when we heard you two we figured we might as well."

At this, Sheldon rolled his eyes, muttering, "This day will never end."

Kate only glared at him for a long time before saying finally, "You win this round, Wolowitz."

Bernadette smiled meekly and said, "Don't worry, Kate. We were cautious."

"I don't want to hear about it," Kate stated.

"That went off better than I planned," said Howard gratefully, smiling at Bernadette.

"Yeah," said Leonard reasonably, "because she fired all her scalpels at Chance before she angrily left the apartment."

"Why did she angrily leave the apartment?" posed Bernadette, her voice squeaky with inquiry.

Sheldon said simply, "She and Kate had a disagreement."

"About what?" inquired Howard to Kate. "You and Chance are childhood friends."

"Childhood similarities oftentimes become desensitized when a variable is differentiated between them," Sheldon stated to Howard logically. "Mine, on the other hand, have proven that matter illogical, while Kate and Briars seemed to have shared a common difference which, between them, was unable to be settled."

"Which was?" goaded Howard.

"Sheldon," answered Bernadette, Leonard, Rajesh, Howard, Kate. Sheldon looked at all of them, confused.


	57. (58) The Leslie Winkle-Chance Paradox

Chapter Fifty-Eight: The Leslie Winkle-Chance Paradox

Author's Note: I had gotten the vibe from my reviewers/readers that Chance was an unlikable character. Personally, I'm glad to be rid of her as she was truly despicable. It wasn't as I intended but lucky me, this whole thing is improvised so the impromptu detour was beneficial. Thank you for the reviews, **NightBloodWolf**, you continue to be a great reviewer, exceptional detail. Look forward to hearing more, and yes, we will still have the costume party ;)

The fight had granted Sheldon relief as he would not have to be around Chance Briar and her flawlessly embarrassing innuendo teasing but he was not so ignorant know see that Kate, while she had demonstrated extreme betrayal and anger towards Chance, had become equally remorseful. During their drive to work, Kate had demonstrated lack of conversational value. One of them was that when Sheldon, promised to the contract, to ask her how she was, Kate glanced at him from the driver's seat.

"Exceptional," Kate remarked.

They stopped at the red light, relief to Sheldon. His memory of having to drive Penny to the hospital was oftentimes there, for he remembered stopping slowly and carefully at this same light. Although no accident had come from it, he still didn't like the idea of driving; he was more enthused that Kate regularly volunteered to go out of her way—as Chance had put it viciously—to optimize his needs as hers. Still, her response baffled him, for not only was it a new answer, it was hardly one to give him an idea as to being 'sickly' or 'in optimal health'.

"Exceptional?" repeated Sheldon.

"Yeah," said Kate. She looked at the road, not at him, when she spoke—another good thing about Kate. She hardly ever took her eyes off the road while driving, even to listen or talk to him. Safety first, then intuitive dialogue.

"Exceptionally what?" Sheldon persisted.

"What?" Kate replied. At the red light, she turned her attention to him.

"Your answer is vague, Kate. Are you expressing your exception to regarded health of being impressively rejuvenated, or exceptionally ill..." Sheldon said. After a pause, he said, "Are you suffering from a cancerous parasite to refer to your exceptional illness?"

Kate glanced at him.

"I've not been bitten by a parasitic cancerous bug," Kate replied nonchalantly. She turned the wheel and went right; the signal light was flashing, the small _click, click, click_. This was the only sound in the car until Sheldon gazed at Kate, clearly annoyed by her inability to specify her emotion at the moment.

"Kate," said Sheldon. "You and I have been friends for over two years, where the internet is concerned, and we've officially been a couple for nearly six-and-a-half months. Sunday will make it six months, two weeks, and one day. Never once have you ever been so vague as to tell me you feel 'exceptional'."

"I'm not feeling good, Sheldon, okay?" Kate snapped unexpectedly.

This made Sheldon flinch slightly, his lips to purse in sudden recoil. Knowing what she'd done, Kate glanced at him from the road and said in a gentler voice, "I'm sorry, Sheldon. I forget that you can't understand facial cues or body language."

"It's a wonder why you have," said Sheldon. "I admit that I'm not an expert in the humanities. Although I do admit in the past I've been two-for-two when it concerned Leonard and Penny having a distal refraction of emotion before he, Wolowitz, Koothrappali and I went to the Artic Circle to find the connection of monopular interactions to confirm String Theory."

Kate glanced at him again. Sheldon nodded and said, "Sorry, Kate." He cleared his throat and said, "Why are you 'down in the dumpsters'?"

Kate furrowed her eyes in sudden curiosity, beseeching his odd slang.

"I think you're meaning 'down in the dumps'," said Kate lightly. "And the answer is irrelevant."

"I disagree," said Sheldon. "As you've taken the wrong turn to Euclid Avenue rather than the direction we normally ride, it only points to the most obvious that whatever is eluding your mind has also contracted some form of emotional turmoil, thus distracting your conscious to the actions at hand."

Kate seemed to notice the road had, indeed, turned differently. She cursed quietly to herself, took an exit, and returned to the road at hand, then turned on the correct route that she and Sheldon regularly took, each day, when she was driving him to work. Sheldon gazed at her.

"You're right, as always," sighed Kate.

Sheldon gave her a knowing look; when was he wrong?

"Kate," said Sheldon, licking his lips, "I gather than based on your distracted mind and intention to concentrate on the matter at hand that the cause of your emotional bout of turmoil and frustration lie solely on the fact that you're experiencing some frame of regard for Briar's recent claim."

Kate stopped at a stop sign, and turned to him—eyes and head.

"What are you saying?" Kate returned.

"You're doing what Briars claimed you'd do; despite her insolent behavior towards me and the mockery she instigated towards you, you do want to be her friend again." He reasoned. He experienced self-doubt for a second and said uncertainly, "Don't you?"

She frowned and said, "No."

"No?"

"Yes."

"Which is it? You're confusing me," said Sheldon.

"Sheldon, I don't know."

"You don't know? I don't think you have a handle on your emotional stability," said Sheldon pervasively. "If you're going to have minor afflictions your feelings, perhaps we'd concede in taking a cab."

"Sheldon," said Kate hotly.

Again, Sheldon flinched at her instant tone of bitterness and frustration. He gazed at her innocently, the puppy eyes no doubt doing their job as Kate instantly became regretful of her situation. She closed her eyes momentarily then looked at him.

"All right..." She muttered. "Yes, you're right. I feel remorseful for what I had said to Chance."

"But it was true," said Sheldon.

"Yeah, but I feel angry because it had to come to that in order for her to stop being so mean."

Sheldon stared at Kate incredulously and said, "Kate, were you not present during the whole argument? She never stopped being mean. The situation digressed with her leaving the apartment with bitter content and you were left slamming the door, causing an earthquake-related manifestation to cross the apartment. By all means, the situation never resolved itself."

Kate stared at him this time.

"Sheldon, she was my friend."

"No longer," returned Sheldon. "You said so yourself."

"I said them in anger."

"People say a lot of things in bitterness, Kate. That doesn't necessarily make them false."

Kate shook her head. Sheldon watched her with fascination and equal discomfort. He'd never seen a true weepy Kate, nor did he wish to. After seeing Amy cry because of a misunderstanding that had to do with Bernadette and Penny shopping for wedding nonsense, the whole situation left him being strong-handed into a situation that needed not to happen. If he didn't have to cuddle Kate, especially in the car, the more power to him. However, even as Kate sat in the driver's seat, driving the car towards Cal-Tech, she seemed to become more incessant on talking about the argument.

"You don't understand, Sheldon. She'd been my friend a long time and then I just shut her out of my life completely in one night."

"Kate," said Sheldon carefully.

"What?" Kate remarked sadly.

"May I strongly advise that while you are experiencing a fragile time of your life you will pull the Batmobile to the side, rather than..."

Kate frowned and said, "What does it matter? She'll never speak to me again."

Sheldon sighed impatiently. Finally, he told her to pull over, his voice firm and resolute. She did as she was told, more for the surprise that he'd become so authorative. As she pulled to the side, Sheldon looked at her pointedly.

"I didn't want to do this as you are clearly experiencing some repressed post-temper sadness, especially in a vehicle that could overrun a jeep in this city, but Kate," said Sheldon, "you're overreacting."

"I'm what?" Kate remarked, staring at him incredulously. "How can you say that?"

"Look at it logically, Kate. Don't tell me you can't because your mind says otherwise; I've heard Smart Kate before and she's not so blind to the logic as most people are." Sheldon stated coolly.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying this," Sheldon stated gently, seeing her eyes becoming weepy. "You're primarily obsessing over the idea that it was your fault you and Briars ceased to be friends, whereas it's actually the opposite. Your friendship was based solely on the event where Briars physically dominated a person that was causing you physical harm as well. On that event, you've circled your friendship. Earlier today, you witnessed the same domineering aggravation that you've experienced yourself except it was placed on me."

"You're not making me feel any better," said Kate.

"If you let me finish, I assure you it'll pay off but you have to buy in the premise before you get the point," said Sheldon smoothly.

"Fine," said Kate. She wiped her eyes with her hands.

"All right," said Sheldon. He began with a clearing of his throat and said logically, "Chance was never a friend in the end because she seemed to use her tactics she'd placed on your previous tormentor and released whatever inferiority of intelligence she felt towards me on me physically."

"Sheldon, she wasn't intimidated by your intelligence." Kate stated.

"I disagree; she seemed to be affected by my intellectual superiority increasingly; why else would she have conceded the illusion that I was under an assumption I'm smarter than all of you combined? It's only logical," Sheldon remarked flatly.

Kate gazed at him, muttering, "You think she was only my friend because I was under the illusion of her being so?"

"That," affirmed Sheldon, "and she was also dating Rajesh, who had attested that they were only together because of the sexual encounters, not for any emotional connection." He thought for a moment and said, "It'd also explain his lack of emotional pain although it further dictates one's curiosity for why Howard became a sobbing girl when Leslie Winkle dumped him."

Kate smiled, in spite of the tears that fell from her eyes.

"Thank you, Sheldon," said Kate gently.

"You're welcome," Sheldon said, though he wasn't sure which part of his statement made her feel better. Furthermore, he added, "If it wasn't Chance Briars that made you feel inadequate, Kate, my next guess would have been your lack of inference towards my work, which, according to you, causes jealousy towards Amy, as she understands my research better than you."

Kate's smile faltered.

"Sheldon, you ought to quit while you're ahead." Kate stated. She sighed shakily. "I don't feel like going to work now."

"Kate, you have a moral obligation to your job," Sheldon acclaimed. "You're the only surgeon I'd entrust my organs to, and I'm sure the other patients agree."

Kate gazed at him again and offered, "Would you, Sheldon, entrust me with a scalpel and your entrails if you saw me in this state?"

She gestured to her face, which Sheldon considered. Her mascar and eyeliner was ebbed under her eyes. The look of a drowned, red, tear-stained face gave him no inclination to say that he'd trust her with a scalpel.

"I guess not." Sheldon told her.

Kate smiled with a hint of control and sat her back against the seat, looking defeated.

"Besides, you're right."

"About what?" Sheldon said. "There you go again, being vague."

"I'm talking about Amy."

"What about Amy?"

"I still feel inferior to her."

"Because she knows more about my research than you, you feel contrite about that as well? Kate," condescended Sheldon, "you're a brilliant surgeon with the credentials of a Nobel-Prize winner. Surely, you'd feel the opposite."

"You'd think so, but I don't." Kate said.

Sheldon smiled in spite of himself. Kate saw this and gave him a look.

"Why are you smiling?" she inquired cynically.

"I had a thought, which I don't know why I'd not thought of it a long time ago," said Sheldon. "Actually, it's a bit offending why I hadn't."

"What is it?" asked Kate. She started to drive to his work again, which apparently was the great idea. She gave him a look indicating curiosity and said, "Go with you to work?"

"Of course," said Sheldon. He excitedly put his hands together. "You can come to work with me and I can show you what I do. It's rather simple. Recently, I've designated time for solving the spacetime geometry in higher spin gravity and worked on time-dependent backgrounds in string theory, specifically quantum field theory in D-dimensional de Sitter space. I've also determined that three-dimensional string-nets provided a unified picture of fermions and gauge bosons and reconciled the black hole information paradox with his theory of string-network condensates following a breakthrough in showing how neutrinos emerge from a string-net condensate."

Kate parked in front of the building of Cal-Tech and gave him a smile.

"Sheldon, I'll entreat upon you that I have only a grasp of what you've just said." Kate stated. She smiled when he gave her a look of disappointment and she returned affectionately, "Although, if it means anything, I think String Theory is more practical as the future of physics than Loop Quantum theory."

Sheldon immediately beamed at her statement and said, "Tell that to Leslie Winkle."

"Yeah, no," Kate remarked. "I'll argue with Chance about you but I won't argue with another scientist about something on which I've only grasped."

As they got out of the car, Sheldon met her at the front stating dismissively, "Winkle is hardly a scientist. She might as well be the bell ringer of Notre Dame."

"Are you saying she's deformed?" Kate replied, laughing.

"Not so much as her physical form, as her mind," said Sheldon. He added, "I consider her to be my enemy, not only because she and I are on polar opposites concerning our theories for the future of physics, but she regularly is mean to me, namely calling me derogatory belittling names like 'dumb ass'." He frowned before entering the building and said quietly, "That's her favorite."

"If she makes you sad, Sheldon, it'll be my pleasure to make you happy." Kate said, winking at him.

Sheldon gazed at her with a fixed expression, saying, "Pun intended?"

"If you want it to be," Kate replied. "I was openly offering. But, sure, 'pun intended'."

"Kate."

She stopped before going into the building and looked at him. Sheldon looked at her briefly and said gently, "Something has been defecting me as well."

"What is it?" Kate asked, immediately concerned.

Sheldon shrugged, saying awkwardly, "Well, Briars had a point; you circumvent your day around me and to others that may be rather...selfish of me, but you seem to neither care or have any bout about it. I thought we'd get into the matter of breaking it down before us before we contrive the idea of befuddlement and mind-poking games."

"Are you asking me whether Chance was right about my routine involving you to be stupid?" asked Kate.

"Yes."

"No."

"Yes, I'm asking."

"Sheldon, I'm not saying you weren't asking me. I'm saying that 'no, I don't think it's stupid'." Kate said.

"Good," said Sheldon. "I thought it, too, to be a rather ignorant statement. If we had any qualms about the matter, I'd have thought you'd have posed a motion to discuss it at the roommate meeting every Friday. Speaking of which, I'll pose the fact that without a Bellatrix and Voldemort, it doesn't ruin the Costume Party at the comic book store this Sunday. Why anyone thought it would is beyond me."

Kate smiled at him and they entered the building.


	58. (59) The Proposing Perfectionism

Chapter Fifty-Nine: Proposing Perfectionism

Kate and Sheldon walked past the inquiring eyes of men and women (both looking perturbed by Sheldon being followed by an attractive woman with long blonde hair, simmering green eyes, and a slender form, dressed in hot pink scrubs), the two were hardly acknowledging the fact. Sheldon pulled out a key and unlocked his office door, on which Kate read that _Dr. Sheldon Cooper, Ph.D._ Directly underneath his name was a paper-taped nametag that read Rajesh's first and last name, and his title as well. Kate knew Sheldon had given Rajesh a job to stay in America, rather than being deported to India. The fact remained that Kate noticed when Sheldon opened the door, Raj wasn't there.

"Where's Raj?" Kate inquired.

"You're under the impression that he still works with me?" Sheldon replied, obviously implying that it wasn't so. Kate shrugged.

"I was, but by your tone, I'm saying 'no'?"

"Are you asking or telling me?" Sheldon returned.

"Asking?"

Sheldon gave her a look and Kate said in a more convinced tone, "Asking."

"To answer your question, as it's been affirmed a question," said Sheldon resolutely, "No, he's not. Since his discovery of the planetary body, he'd been given an office closer to the astrophysics department. Originally it was declined when he began working with me in dark matter annihilation but he preferred his own office." He placed his bag on his desk. "Personally, I'm still baffled. He claimed I'm hard to work with, but then again, it's been a recurring excuse for people to avoid me at length whenever they can."

"Ah," returned Kate. She watched him sit on the very edge of the desk and it gave Kate a rush of images to flash through her mind. Oh, the things they could do in this office, more specifically, what she could do with him on the desk...or to him.

"Kate?" Sheldon said after a moment, pushing her out of her intricately provocative reverie.

"Yeah?"

Sheldon gave her disconcerting look, his eyes slightly narrowed.

"Are you in your right state of mind?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Because," Sheldon said slowly, "You have that...look."

"Look?" repeated Kate logically. "No idea what you're talking about." She smiled shortly after and went to placing her purse at the corner of the room. He watched her, arms folded.

"So," said Kate in a soft sigh. She looked at the boards. "You come to work and stand in front of these boards. What else do you do?"

"I don't stand in front of them, I look at them," Sheldon corrected. "It's not simple, either. It focuses a great deal of concentration and inference. First off, one must be silent while in deep focus. It's the only way in order to figure out a problem and its contradicting variable."

Kate shrugged and said, "You're the scientist, honey. Tell me what to do and I'll happy assist."

"That sounded more patronizing than encouraging," Sheldon stated coolly.

Kate smirked, saying, "It was a bit of both." She stepped towards him and stood behind his legs; he gave her a curious look but did nothing to push her away. Her arms lowered from their original folded form and the hands attached were lying flat, palms down, beside his thighs.

"Sheldon," said Kate, genuinely sincere. "Thank you for taking me to work with you. Even though I have no idea what's written on the board, besides the multiplicative math and its opposition, I feel a little more knowledgeable."

Sheldon smiled at her.

"I'm never too busy to pass on my research to those who are thirsty for it." Sheldon said happily. "It's a shame you're not a scientist." He said with a resolve, "You'd make a wonderful partner."

"Why's that?"

"You don't doubt me." Sheldon replied. "Also, if given the circumstance, I'd not have to argue with you on what are simplistic perspectives." This was a reference to his past bickers with Rajesh about dark matter annihilation hypotheses although Rajesh had admittedly been correct, but he was never one to admit erroneous implications, even if he was certain he'd been mistaken.

"It's because I know you, Sheldon," Kate remarked. "Besides, what can I argue with you about? You're a senior theoretical particle physicist with two doctorates and a masters in science, bordering the reach of a Nobel Prize." She stepped close enough that she was in kissing distance; their bodies touched by a hair, and Kate, who was feeling the certain warmth in her skin, was allured by the idea of being so close to him. It was amazing how infatuated she could be with him when he made no effort to seduce her.

Sheldon wasn't perceptive when it came to body language or verbal cues or the facial expressions. However, he knew Kate. And Kate, with her half-smile curved in mischief, seemed to show the signs of one being sexually aroused—in spite of himself, he felt the beginnings as well. Did the stirrings ever end, he wondered; no wonder why men and women prattled around in beds for so many days at a time on a honeymoon. Yesterday had been in his bedroom. The day before, it'd been in Kate's. The thought of succumbing to the experiment in his office was fairly damnable but also intriguing...the damnable affair, this was.

"It's amazing that you have to say what I am even though I'm aware that I'm a senior theoretical particle physicist." Sheldon told her. "I've held the position for more than three years."

"I know," Kate purred. She smirked. "It's like being in a relationship with Lex Luthor."

Sheldon was at a fault with Kate; he couldn't deny that her statements of his genius or the comparison to Lex Luthor was beyond flattering, or conjuring his sexual attraction to her. The soft purr in her voice when she enclosed what little space between them made him feel the annoying need to be closer to her, not just in emotional distinguish but in physicality as well.

"Kate," said Sheldon quietly.

"Oh, Sheldon, you're going to have to get used to calling me Selina or Catwoman when the party arrives; we'll be out of character."

"Calling me Lex Luthor is a bit out of character if I'm going to be Batman," Sheldon pointed out.

"Hmm...very true," said Kate smoothly.

The two were fixed in each other's lack of distance. That was until there was a knock on the door and Sheldon and Kate, out of instinct and probably adolescent-reflexes to act as though they've done nothing wrong, reacted. Kate backed away from Sheldon and crossed her arms, blushing slightly. Sheldon briefly smiled though as he had his back to Kate and opened the door.

"Dr. Gablehauser," Sheldon greeted, surprised.

"Dr. Cooper." Gablehauser returned. He smiled and said, "You emailed me twice within the past ten minutes saying you wanted me to meet an esteemed friend. Before doing so, I thought I'd come down and tell you that if it's Batman or Green Lantern, I'm not amused."

Sheldon gave him a look, saying, "Why would I be here if I was a friend of Batman's? I'd be in Gotham City."

"Not the point, who is it?" Gablehauser inquired impatiently. "I have a lot of work to do."

"Well, since you're determined to get to the point," Sheldon stated. He opened the door completely, which revealed Kate in her hot pink scrubs, her hair down around her shoulders and back. The Evenstar necklace Sheldon had given her yesterday hung on her neck.

"Dr. Gablehauser, this is Dr. Kate Burns," said Sheldon proudly. As Gablehauser entreated to see Kate with an impressed smile, Sheldon continuted, "She works as a trauma surgeon at the Pasadena General Hospital ten miles from here."

"A surgeon?" repeated Gablehauser, ignoring Sheldon. He walked to Kate and stood in front of her. Kate gazed at him, a smile on her face.

"Yes," said Kate. With a bit of a haughty tone, she added, "MMMS."

" 'Master of Medicine, Master of Surgery'," cited Gablehauser impressively. "Holder of two doctorates in medicine and a masters in surgical technologies; one hardly needs an introductory to a Nobel Prize winner." He took her hand and kissed the back, which when he finished, Kate pulled out her hand sanitizer and rubbed her hands. Gablehauser noticed and chuckled.

"You _are_ no doubt a friend of Dr. Cooper's," he said with faulty amusement.

Kate smirked and corrected, "_Girl_friend."

"Really?" exclaimed Gablehauser unashamedly. He turned to Sheldon in extreme surprise then to Kate. "I'm honestly shocked!"

"One can tell," Kate responded.

Gablehauser then said, "I didn't realize—well, it's always nice to meet a doctor at any cost. I'm just shocked because I've not heard a single thing about you."

"Nor I, you," Kate replied. "So we're both at a loss."

Gablehauser turned to Sheldon and said, "Quite a charming woman."

"I agree," said Sheldon. He gave Kate a small smile and she returned it. Kate turned to Gablehauser.

"I'm guessing you're the boss of the sanction?" Kate returned.

"I am; how did you guess?"

"You have that air," Kate replied, gesturing the circle around him.

"I see, well, no doubt, once again, you are a friend of Sheldon's. I still cannot believe I've not heard a thing about you; you're a beautiful woman." Dr. Gablehauser stated, still in awe.

"I don't see why you're so shocked," Sheldon interjected, standing beside Kate.

"Because," said Kate before Gablehauser could entreat on the matter, "One doesn't expect a scientist to have a pretty girlfriend, no matter"-Kate grinned at him broadly—"how attractive and tall he is."

Sheldon gave her a look of continued bemusement but Gablehauser seemed to figure this was his way out as he went on to say that he had a wife to tend to, and he got on his phone and walked out the door. Kate looked at Sheldon.

"He's kind of stupid, isn't he?" Kate acknowledged.

"Kind of?" repeated Sheldon. "If given the option, I'd take his place in an instant."

Kate chuckled.

It was time for lunch and at work, Sheldon always took lunch downstairs. Following him, Kate was more than happy to have lunch with Leonard, Rajesh, and Howard, who were already at the table. Sheldon and Kate stood in line, and after twenty minutes, they joined the others there. Sheldon gestured for Kate to sit opposite of him, beside Leonard, who was across from Rajesh and Howard, who Sheldon sat beside.

"What are you doing here?" Leonard inquired immediately when Kate sat beside him.

Pointedly, she returned, "Good to see you too, Leonard."

Howard looked at Sheldon, saying, "What did you do?"

"What did I do?" repeated Sheldon.

"I thought you were working," Leonard stated, inferring Howard's earlier inquiry. "How come you're not at that hospital?"

"Kate," began Sheldon, "has decided to elope from work to be with me here. I'm showing her the ropes, as one would say."

Howard looked at Sheldon as though this was not true but Kate attested to the fact with a nod of the head and then bit into her sandwich. Leonard raised his eyebrows.

"Playing hookie?" Leonard said. "Why?"

"I told you," began Sheldon but Leonard interrupted to talk to Kate point blank.

"How come you came here instead?" Leonard insisted.

"Chance made me mad and I'm not going to stand in a surgery and cause a medieval accident because I can't control my emotions," Kate responded heatedly.

Rajesh, who'd been quiet until he'd taken a drink from his flask of green grasshopper, said, "Don't feel too bad, Kate. It wasn't meant to last."

Kate gave him a look but said nothing. She only ate her lunch a little more determined to stab the french fries with equal dispute. Sheldon noticed her violence towards the food. He looked at Leonard and Howard.

"Before I tell you about our conversation with Dr. Gablehauser, I'll let you continue your conversation as to continue with the social paradigm. What are we talking about?" Sheldon asked, placing a napkin on his lap.

Kate opened her Diet Coke and took a big swig.

"I'm thinking about marrying Penny." Leonard stated after taking a long breath.

Kate started coughing, spitting out her coke onto her tray. As her face turned red, Leonard stood and patted her on the back. Sheldon fled from his seat and said, standing beside Kate, "Don't worry, Kate! If you become unconscious, I know CPR!"

"She doesn't need CPR!" Leonard said loudly. He patted Kate on the back and offered her a drink of his own bottled water and with no option left as her face turned blue, Kate took one long, uninterrupted swig, which gave her instant relief. She gasped and breathed deeply.

Leonard and Sheldon took their seats and watched Kate with concern. Howard and Rajesh who'd been watching the hilarity snickered.

"What?" Leonard said, looking at them.

"Your faces were hilarious!" Rajesh exclaimed. He laughed.

Kate put her hand to her chest and looked at Leonard, saying, "Thank you."

"You're welcome."

"So," said Kate after she'd gotten her breath. "You're going to marry Penny?"

"Not actually," said Leonard.

"Why not?" Kate inquired, stumped.

Howard stepped in and said for him, "he's not asked her yet."

"Why not?" repeated Kate.

Howard looked at Sheldon and said, "God, she sounds like a four-year old."

To this, Sheldon gave him a slightly confused, if not affronted, look but Howard ignored it and said to Kate, "Because he just hasn't."

Leonard took off from there, adding, "I was going to ask her at the party."

"At the costume party where she's going to be dressed as Hawkgirl, and you, Leonard, will be the Green Lantern?" Rajesh inquired.

"Hawkgirl and Green Lantern?" repeated Kate.

"From Thanagar..." began Rajesh but Kate, who suddenly became highly offended waved him off.

"I know who Hawkgirl and GL are!"

At her enraged comment, Rajesh immediately silenced and then stood to relieve his nervous bladder. Howard, Leonard, and Sheldon looked at her with great alarm. Kate suddenly calmed.

"I wasn't talking about the characters," Kate stated. "I thought you and Penny were going to be Superman and Lois Lane."

Leonard smiled, saying, "Penny didn't want to wear another wig since Wonder Woman—turns out Shayera is better for her as they have the same hair color. Plus, I don't mind being Green Lantern; I prefer it over Superman."

"What do you have against Superman?" Howard and Sheldon remarked simultaneously.

"Not the point, guys," Leonard said.

"Actually, you're wrong but," Kate stated, "we can discuss that after this. You're going to ask Penny to marry you in a costume party on the day of Thanksgiving?"

"Yeah," said Leonard, although his conviction had dwindled a bit. "Why—is that bad?"

"Doesn't sound like Penny," Kate stated. "But then again, I would think it to be romantic if Sheldon asked me to marry him" (Kate's heart leapt a beat) "at the costume party where he's dressed as Batman and I'm Catwoman." She shrugged a shoulder and said, "But that's me. Penny would be like...I don't know, some restaurant, fancy flowers."

"That sounds so boring," Leonard said.

"I know," said Kate. "That's why I wouldn't want that."

Howard leaned into Sheldon and whispered, "Are you writing this down?"

"Why would I write that down?" Sheldon replied as Kate and Leonard continued talking about Penny's possible preferred ways of proposals.

"Because, you may want to keep Kate."

"Why's that?"

"She's a keeper. Only someone as insane as you would dress up and go to a costume party," said Howard.

"Bernadette's going," Sheldon pointed out.

"Yeah; she's my wife." Howard said.

"What's your point?" Sheldon replied, still baffled by why he should be taking notes about the conversation, although he did take down the dialogue he had with people in a log. He preferred the ones he and Kate had that were...intimate...in a different log: his memory.

"Kate," complained Leonard, "I don't think it's up to you whether Hawkgirl gets proposed by Green Lantern at a party."

"Just sayin', Leonard. You never know. It's about location, location, location. You also have to think of the arrangements, the ring you have to buy, the way you speak, the words you say, the way you're dressed, and the reception. After that, you've got the honeymoon and then during that...well, you and Penny do that for yourself because sex is entirely different for everyone." Kate surmised.

"Sex is easy," said Howard. "You just do everything she wants you to do and that's the honeymoon."

Leonard looked at Howard incredulously, saying, "I think the honeymoon is more than that, Howard."

"It was for me," said Howard, smiling widely.

Kate and Sheldon exchanged glances although the two had different ideas as to why the exchanged them in the first place. Sheldon only glimpsed to see Kate's reaction, and Kate, who was still thinking about the two of them marrying as Batman and Catwoman, was still hooked on the idea so when she looked at Sheldon, she blushed a deep shade of red.

"So," said Leonard, "I figure I'll just propose to her at the costume party. There's going to be wine and stuff anyway."

"Like you proposed to her before?" Howard mentioned, referring to Sheldon's statement when Bernadette and Howard were getting married before. To this, Rajesh was snickering and Kate, who received this news for the first time, glanced at Leonard to see if that question had been true. Leonard offered neither nay nor yay but to Kate, this was answer enough.

"You proposed to Penny before?"

"Right after sex," Howard interjected before Leonard could say otherwise or even confirm it.

Leonard took this moment to look at Sheldon and said loudly, "What about you and Gablehauser?"

Sheldon began to inform them of the conversation that he and Kate had with the boss but then there was a familiar voice to the four of them, but to Kate, it was pure delusional. Enter the other enemy Sheldon claimed to have before the devil stood before them all.

"I found out bout wour costume pawty," said a man who came to the table. "Guess who's going now!"

Kate turned her attention to the man that appeared closer to her; he stood in front of the table, between Sheldon and Kate.

"How'd you learn of the party, Kripke?" asked Leonard politely.

"A guy in the astwology's depawtment swipped a twongue."

Kate glanced at Sheldon and saw the slightly annoyance on his face. She perceived this to be another one of his 'enemies'.

"Whoa, how did I miss seeing wou come in hewe?" asked Kripke impressively. He smirked at Kate, who returned a small polite smile, but only just.

"Hi," Kate returned.

"Hewwo." he said. He raised his eyebrows up and down. "Barry Kripke." He held out his hand.

Kate shook it.

"Kate," she returned.

"_Dr._ Kate Burns," said Sheldon specifically, emphasizing her title. Kate glanced at his weird behavior but only smiled.

"Oh, a doctor, huh? You're pwobably in Cooper's department; I never see him. It's one of the good things about him," Kripke noted. "Blink twice if you're hewe, against your will."

Kate frowned and in doing so, Sheldon gazed sharply at Kripke.

"You're under the impression that Kate's here with us without having any seats," said Sheldon coolly. "What you're stupid to figure out is that she's with me on a will of her own."

"Are you weally?" Kripke said, generally perplexed. He looked from Sheldon to Kate.

"I'm his girlfriend," said Kate in the same tone as Sheldon's.

"Wow. Like I said, blink twice if you'we hewe against your will." Kripke said, clearly teasing.

Kate looked at him but she gave no hint of anger, derivation of attitude, or the slightest need to retort. It made Kripke stare at her uncomfortably then he walked away. Sheldon, who'd never see Kripke say nothing before, looked at Kate.

"It's a beautiful power you have against my enemies, Kate. You're their Kryptonite." Sheldon mused.

Kate smiled at him and said, "I am, aren't I?"

Sheldon continued to eat his lunch and then Kate turned to Leonard, saying briefly, "I think you ought to marry Penny; she's a beautiful woman and you care about her. Plus, you and her have done this little tango a long time, right? So it's about time one of you tied the knot. Even if it is at a costume party."

"See," said Leonard, "I was so sure you were being cordial but now I'm wondering, based on your last bit of your sentence, if I'm doing the right thing here. What if she says 'no'?"

"I suspect by that time, you'll understand what to do," Kate remarked. "Simply say 'okay' and then continue the relationship where it was last successful, similar to what you would do if a computer crashed."

Sheldon suddenly looked at her point-blank but when Kate turned to him for his agreement, he was back to eating his lunch, pretending he didn't hear what he'd advised to Amy when Amy had become drunk and kissed him.

In the office, Kate was sitting on Sheldon's desk, watching him in silence as he stared at the white board in thought and logical enhancing concentration. True to her word, he'd asked her to be quiet and she was doing so—anything to help. As he worked, Kate was on her phone and saw that she'd gotten a text from Stuart.

_Hey; it's Stuart. Your advice about Amy worked. Thanks._

Kate viewed the text curiously but then remembered to what he refered—the sharing interests might've definitely done something between he and Amy, as they were experiencing a rift in the relationship; the sexual component wasn't the problem. Finding similar interests had been the key. Kate texted him back saying she was happy for him, then she placed her phone in her bag that sat on Sheldon's rolling chair. Watching him, Kate was smiling; he stood with his back to her, arms folded, back straight—just seeing him idly watch the board was making her antsy.

She looked at the boards herself, wondering how one could stare at a board for hours upon end. In its lasting hours, it only made her bored. She preferred a scalpel and anesthetic. Kate touched her Evenstar necklace in thought; this was becoming a habit for her.

Suddenly, Sheldon turned to look at her.

"What is it?" Kate asked.

"Nothing," said Sheldon. "I thought it might be time for a break."

"A break?" Kate asked. "Sounds great."

When he stepped towards, standing between her legs, Kate was surprised. She hadn't expected this, not even remotely anything to gesture towards the matter that had been initiated—that was before Gablehauser intervened with the knock of the door, and it was gone by that time.

Kate hitched a breath when Sheldon gazed at her with a confused stare.

"Kate, I'm impaired as to know the relationship level we are in."

"Impaired? What do you mean?" asked Kate.

"Earlier when Leonard mentioned his intended proposal, you blushed when I looked at you. Are you intent on marrying me?" Sheldon inquired. He paused and said more specifically, "Or vice versa?"

Kate stared at him.

"I-I...well...um." Kate stammered. She smiled sweetly and said, "I've...Well, I wouldn't be opposed to marriage if you or I asked me or you."

Sheldon smiled at her and said, "But it _has_ crossed your mind before now."

"Yeah," said Kate hesitantly. "Why?"

"It's crossed mine as well," said Sheldon.

Kate looked at him. What was he saying?

"Really?"

"Yes." Sheldon said. He hesitated and sighed. "Kate, would you mind if I indulged you in what has been pressing on my mind for the past few days?"

"Sure," Kate said. "Indulge."

"At the most unexpected of times, when my mind is not focused on the mission of connecting String Theory to the basic existence of Physics, or the mind-altercating whimsy of video games and paint ball, I often times find myself thinking of you." Sheldon said slowly. His voice was sincere, with the utmost caution in choosing his words.

Kate bit her lip. She half-hoped that he wasn't proposing.

"Thinking of me?" Kate muttered. She smiled and said, "That can mean a lot of things."

Sheldon smiled genuinely.

"While together, my mind is violated by my primitive urges. I can't suppress them as easily as I've done before," said Sheldon quietly. The direct honesty made Kate feel embarrassed but she was happy to hear it from him. Not a lot of girls could hear this.

He continued in a soft voice, "What I've experienced is that while I attempt to suppress my biological supremacy, it only aggravates it more. Ignoring doesn't seem to help; in fact, disproving what millions of children have been told, ignoring it doesn't necessarily make it go away." He touched Kate's necklace, the sobriquet. "Hearing Leonard express his worry of Penny's pending rejection makes me wonder, Kate, that, should the similar circumstance happen to us..."

Kate stared at him. She could feel her heart pounding. However, Sheldon seemed to become very awkward in whatever else he was going to say. In turn, his social ineptitude was causing him severe discomfort. Kate smiled. The inflated ego of Sheldon Cooper could last so much socialization before it plummeted him into a state of awkward discomfort. Sensing his uneasiness, Kate took over.

"Sheldon, are you asking me that under hypothetical terms where Leonard is you and I am Penny, if you were going to propose to me, would I reject you?" Kate asked quietly.

Sheldon was a bit confronted by her ease of knowing what he was ready to say but the situation, apparently, stood as it was. Kate smiled widely.

"Sheldon, never in a million years or in a different parallel universe would I refuse you anything." Kate said.

Sheldon sighed in relief.

"Oh good. Not that I'm proposing any commitment of any kind; it was hypothetical." Sheldon reminded her.

"I got that," Kate replied. Still, the smile was on her face. In her mind, he might as well had asked for her to marry him. That was enough for her.

Sheldon had closed the distance between them, standing in between her legs while she sat on the desk. As though her understanding had also made it clear, Sheldon looked at her seriously. His gaze met the intensity in her eyes and when the two had become fixed, he caressed his hands on the sides of her face and kissed her on the lips, tenderly...meaningful...perfect. And as always, as she refused him nothing, kissed him right back.


	59. (60) The Paintball Ultimatum

Chapter Sixty: The Paintball Ultimatum

It was Sunday morning. The afternoon held so much hype and gaurtuneed fun that when Kate and Sheldon readied for the Paintball Weekend, Sheldon was talking incessantly about it from the time they got up, to the time they sat for breakfast and then when the group of people arrived for a paintball strategy briefing.

As Sheldon pulled up a holographic screen which understood hand movements as it followed Sheldon's as he placed the required personell on the graph, Kate had a good idea of what football players felt before acting their performance. It was everyone included, except Amy and Stuart, who were at the comic book store, preparing for the party.

On the couch was Penny and Leonard (on one cushion as Penny sat in between Leonard's legs), and Kate. She sat on the middle cushion, her legs crossed as she drank a Diet Coke. The left spot of the cushion, of course, was empty, as Sheldon had eternal dibs on that one.

Bernadette and Howard stood behind the couch, and Rajesh was in the armchair. While the others were lacking in attention span, as all of them would eventually run and start shooting as always, Kate, who revered Sheldon, watched him.

Penny, then, raised her hand, which was at turn, her gun. Sheldon acknowledged her.

"Yes, Penny?"

"What about Amy?" asked Penny. "If we leave her out, she might feel lonely again and then you may have to cuddle. We all know what a nightmare that will be."

Sheldon gave her a look and said, "Penny, Amy and Stuart are not here because they're not playing. As you very well know, they're at the comic book store."

"So?" said Penny. "She'll still feel lonely."

"Doubtful," Kate remarked, looking to her right at Penny. "Amy and Stuart have long ago filled their relationship with similar interests; they weren't much of a help when we last played anyway, as they were making out behind a rock."

"Too true," Leonard agreed.

Penny shrugged, saying, "I just don't want anyone to be left out."

"What are you talking about?" Leonard said, laughing. "You and Kate are going to be the ones shooting; we're all going to watch."

"Leaving us to the wolves," Kate mused. She nudged Penny's arm and said, "Don't worry, I've got your back."

Penny smiled.

"It's not that bad," said Howard. He gave Kate a smirk and said, "Just pretend all the girls are Chance."

While this was amusing to Leonard, Howard, and Rajesh, the girls and Sheldon glanced at Howard with disapproval. Kate, who said nothing in return, made no retort but the smile on her face disappeared instantly.

Recovering from Howard's obvious blow, Sheldon attempted to gain everyone's attention back to the board.

"As planned, Leonard, Raj, and Bernadette will cover Kate and Penny as they attack the geology department. Once they're finished, we back track to the fence and behind the barn. When we're there, assuming we've lost no one, Leonard, Rajesh, Howard, and Bernadette will cover Kate and Penny..."

"Oh stop," said Leonard impatiently. "You know that the moment we go in we're all going to hide and Kate and Penny will go in firing, guns blazing. It's happened like that the last several times. What'll change now?"

"Because," said Sheldon with tone that was clearly obvious to everyone, "we're going to have a strategy. Ever since Friday, we've always had an advantage."

"What's that?" inquired Howard.

Sheldon smirked—yes, smirked—and with that, Leonard and all of them looked from Sheldon to Kate, at whom he was grinning widely at. They all looked stumped though.

"On Friday, during lunch at Cal-Tech, Kripke and Kate met," said Sheldon.

"-Sheldon-", began Leonard but Sheldon stopped him.

"No, no, no, let me finish!" Sheldon said, powering down the presentation. "Kate is the ultimate weapon. Kripke's going to be on the field tonight and with a little feminine charm, she can bring Kripke to his knees. After all, he's the treacherous little monster that made us pay last game."

"Sheldon, it was a fair fight. He had you cornered!" Leonard insisted.

"What?" said Kate.

Leonard and Penny turned to Kate almost forgetting that she'd gone to work a double shift, which left her out of the game entirely. Penny shook her head; according to her, evidently, it was ridiculous.

"Barry had Sheldon cornered in the barn. Sheldon was going to shoot then he started bad-mouthing Meemaw."

Sheldon looked affronted and said defensively, "And then he shot me."

"Yeah, right in the chest," Howard said. He mimicked gun fire and hit his own, making a dead gasp as he did so. Kate smiled and turned to Sheldon.

"Why were you cornered?" asked Kate.

"Because they left me to die," Sheldon said, rounding on Leonard and Howard.

Bernadette smiled and said, "It's just a game, Sheldon."

"I beg to differ," Sheldon responded. "Abandonment is a ground for a court-martial, even death. I daresay that Wolowitz and Hodfstader more than proved their loyalty. It was below to exemplify my revenge by doing the same, but as we work as a team, I decided otherwise."

The news sunk in and Leonard stared at Sheldon, saying, "You were going to leave me to die this time?"

"Yes," said Sheldon shamelessly. He narrowed his eyes and said, "It's less than what you deserve."

Kate suppressed a smile. At times, it seemed that paintball was the only war any of them would participate, so they might as well do their part.

"Well," said Leonard, "I know my Penny won't sacrifice me. Right, Penny?"

Penny looked over her shoulder at a smiling Leonard but her answer was less than reassuring when she said, "I don't know, Leonard; Kate has my vote. If you die, I may have to move on."

Leonard gave her a laughing breath but when Penny remained serious, he suddenly looked nervous. As the team briefing was over ("thank god!" everyone sighed) the others were piling into Kate's car. As usual, Sheldon sat in the passenger seat.

They were silent until Penny, who was against the silence, ultimately stopped it.

"The silence in this car is creepy," said Penny.

"We like it like that," Bernadette stated, being entertained. She was watching Howard demonstrate a card trick, at which Sheldon did his best to ignore, for he hadn't found out the solution just yet.

Kate watched his lips purse as Howard did the magic trick with the others in the back seat. Sheldon shook his head, in an attempt to dismiss the obvious aggravation he was feeling. Kate looked at him.

"What's Plan B?" asked Kate. "Should I be cornered?"

Sheldon looked at her incredulously.

"Why would you be cornered?"

"I'm not an Elf, Sheldon," said Kate. "I wish I had the stealth and feat of one, sometimes the actual literal feet. They're quiet and great hunters. I'm only human. So what's your back-up plan if Penny and I would get captured?"

Sheldon looked at her and said, "I'll slaughter all that stand in my way."

"Don't be silly," said Leonard.

Sheldon gave Leonard a cool, and calculating look. Apparently, he was dead serious. It made Leonard and Penny glance at each other, but Kate, who was deeply touched, merely smiled in spite of herself.

"Back to creepy silence," whispered Penny.

Leonard smiled at her, but when Penny turned to look out the window, there was something in his smile that reflected more than just bemusement. Kate saw in the rearview mirror that he was in a daze, a dream-like state. He was wanting to pop the question any moment, but was trying his best to keep it under tabs.

Kate parked and the others got out quickly, eager. When Kate shut the car door, she felt someone touch her shoulder. She turned and saw Sheldon. He pulled up his goggles and Kate smiled, seeing his blue eyes.

"What's up, General?" Kate remarked.

"Amusing; your reference to the leader of an army is signifying that I'm the leader of this one." Sheldon stated the obvious. After which, he giggled with a breathy laugh. Kate grinned as he was entertained.

"My back-up plan, Kate, if you get captured, is to find a way out. Kill Kripke, if he's the one that captures you; trust me, it won't be much of a loss."

Kate smiled broadly.

"Gladly," she said. She cocked her gun, at which Sheldon gave her an admiring gaze. "What?"

"I admire your determination in the fight," said Sheldon. "Although, frankly, your blood lust is truly alarming but I always guessed that was the surgeon appeal in you, coming out to play."

"Sheldon, I'm a surgeon—not a sadist."

"There's a very thin line between the two," said Sheldon boldly.

Kate registered it, then beamed at him. She placed her hands on her mirrored half and said with a gentle tone, "Understood." She then grinned to the point her teeth shone brightly and added, "Let's go kill some dirt people."

Of course, she was referring to the geologists.

Sheldon followed to the field. Before the game actually began, the enemies—geologists, astrologists, and namely Kripke and Leslie who led them—met in the center. The referee stood in the middle, holding up his hands.

"Team Kripke, step forward—the General and his co-commander to meet the opposing." He announced.

Kripke, armed in battle garb, stepped forward. His co-commander, Leslie, who was smirking at Sheldon and Kate, stood directly beside him. Sheldon stepped forward opposite of Kripke, as the Ring leader, and his second-in-command, Kate, allied him, opposite of Leslie.

"Shake hands!" demanded the Referee. They did so but with less enthusiasm as the median.

Kripke took Kate's hand rather hand and pulled to her to him, saying in low voice, "You'll be my captive, one way or another." He smirked and said, "Surrender now, and I won't shoot you."

Kate met his smile, although less enthusiastically. Leslie and Sheldon glanced at each other warily; apparently, to the two of them, this battle was for keeps.

"Then you better shoot me," said Kate. She made a daring move towards him and it made him step back a pace, which made Sheldon smile.

When the Referee clearly saw the spite, he called for the teams to gather and strategize. They all met, as planned behind the barn. They were all bent down at the knee, drawing diagrams of the strategy they'd been informed of earlier. Howard looked at Kate curiously.

"What was all that about in the center field?" he asked.

"Trash talk," said Kate. She looked at Sheldon and said lovingly, "I'd never willingly surrender." She said to Howard pointedly, "I'd rather die."

"Wow, that's a little intense for just a game," said Penny.

Kate shrugged and said, "I know, right? It's like a real battle." She winked, making Penny shake her head but laugh as well.

"WAR!" they heard the other team shout. Everyone pulled down their goggles.

"It's time," said Sheldon. They gathered in barn. As directed, those that were sent out, did so, and then others covered each other.

It was war, hell on Earth. Paint pellets shot through the air, men and women fell to the grassy mounds, lying still in the baking heat. Sweat rolled down their faces as those who were lucky enough, found shelter, hiding from the gunning fires that hit them behind their shields. Ten minutes transpired, but it might as well had been a decade.

Kate dodged over a rock, clamboring to its cold granite before glancing upwards to see that Penny was not far behind her. She beckoned over and Penny, in time, jumped over and Kate pulled her back.

"Battle report?" Kate asked.

"Um," said Penny.

"What's the status?" replied Kate.

"Oh," said Penny. "Howard and Bernadette are down."

"It's been eleven minutes!" Kate exclaimed; she ducked her head when she heard a pellet whoosh by her ears.

"Yeah, I know."

"What were they doing?"

"Making out," Penny stated, as though this should have been expected. "Apparently, there's nothing that makes Howard horny."

"At least he's doing his bones with Bernadette than us," said Kate pointedly.

"Agreed," said Penny.

"Well," said Kate, reloading her gun, "We can't very well stay here."

"Why not?"

Kate pointed above; Penny glanced over and saw that there were ten people running towards them. Leading was Kripke and Leslie.

"Shit!" Penny hissed.

"It's like war when you get into it," Kate said, laughing.

"So let's go!" Penny said. The two girls hopped from their spots and dug their heels into the earth as they sped towards a different area, turning their backs and shooting at whomever was closest to them.

Ahead of them was Leonard and Sheldon, who came out of hiding from a large bush and began shooting at those who were closing in on Penny and Kate.

"Come on, Penny!" Leonard pleaded. "Don't get shot!"

"No, because I wanted to!" Penny shouted back sarcastically.

"This is not the time for sarcasm!" Sheldon told them loudly.

As though their yells had been detected, Leslie, who was running close behind Kate, shot at Sheldon. Enraged as Sheldon narrowly dodged, Kate did a somersault to the floor and with her gun pointed at Leslie, gave a clear shot to her neck. Crying out in frustration and stinging pain, Leslie fell to the dirt mound.

Kate, Penny, Sheldon, and Leonard met behind the bush. However, their safety net had been compromised as Kripke shouted charges.

"Kate and Penny, go," said Leonard.

"Why? They can't see us?" beckoned Penny.

"No, he's right!" Kate said, glancing to the side. "They know we're here."

"We go together," said Penny.

"No," Leonard protested. "It has to be you!"

"Why?" Penny interjected. "You're the one that has trouble running!"

"I don't run from my problems," Leonard responded.

"That's ridiculous," Sheldon argued. "We've run from bullies all our lives."

"Not this one," said Leonard.

"What?" said Penny.

"Penny, I won't run from this problem," said Leonard. "I need to tell you something. Will you marry me?"

"RUN!" Kate shouted. The four scattered, although Penny and Kate were on the rebound; they made a circle, separating, then returned, guns blazing, shooting at the backs of those that were after Leonard and Sheldon.

"Get out of range!" Leonard shouted.

Penny shot at all of those who were after Leonard and the two turned the left; Kate, on the verge of her blood lust, fled after Kripke, who was, with all his might, trying to get Sheldon.

"DIE COOPER!" Kripke screamed.

From the battle lines, Kate could hear Leonard and Penny shouting at each other, perhaps to have the proper conversation while those who were opposing the proposal shot at them. Kate couldn't hear them for she took a detour, through the barn, killing two couples were waiting for her, and found that Kripke and Sheldon were heading towards this way. Sheldon, seeing Kate, ran past her. Then, finally, Kate and Kripke were aiming guns at each other.

"Well, well, well," said Kripke, smiling at Kate, "it looks like I've been defeated."

"Not quite," said Sheldon, pointedly. "She's not shot you yet." As a point, Sheldon spoke from the corner of his mouth, "Shoot him, Kate."

"Now, now," said Kripke quickly, holding his hand in somewhat surrender. "We don't have to shoot anyone."

"Yes, we do," said Sheldon. He stepped forward and Kripke aimed the paintball rifle at him, threatening to do so. He went down on the ground and looked at Kate. "What are you waiting for?"

"I want an apology," said Kate.

"For what?" said Sheldon and Kripke in unison.

"For flirting with me when you clearly knew I was his girlfriend," said Kate, gesticulating her head to Sheldon, who was on the barn floor, his gun held loosely in his hand.

As a point, Kripke kicked the gun away and now aimed fully at Kate's heart.

"What's your move, Kate?" said Kripke. "You want me to apowogize and you all leave empty-handed? That'll just weave me in a diffewent kind of suwwender. I ain't suwwendering."

Kate narrowed her eyes.

"I'll give you two choices," said Kate.

Kripke glanced at Sheldon, saying, "Is she for weal?"

"Search me," Sheldon said. "For all I know, she will and can kill the both of us. No one would know a thing."

"Aw wight, so I'm dealing with a psychopath," Kripke summarized. He looked at Kate, and cocked the gun. "I'm not planning on suwwendering Kate, you might as well hang that up."

"Who said surrender?" Kate replied. "I said I'll give you two choices. None of them end with surrender. It's death."

Kripke sighed and said, "Fine, just give me the choices so I can kill you."

Kate cocked her gun as well.

"First one: you apologize to me and I shoot you. Second one: You apologize to Sheldon for having bad-mouthed his grandmother and I shoot you." Kate said. "Those are your choices. They end in your death. Choose."

"That's an ultimatum," said Sheldon. "That's not a choice."

Kate glanced at him wordlessly but returned her deathly eyes to Kripke.

"What say you, Kripke?" Kate asked, her voice dark and dangerous.

Sheldon stared at her in awe. Dear lord, she was for real.

"Neither!" Kripke shouted. He raised his gun to her and pulled the trigger. Kate ducked and shot Kripke straight in between his eyes.

He howled in pain, and went to the ground. Kate, having every circumstance of a large grin, smirked. She looked at Sheldon.

"I'd have shot him even if he shot me," said Kate.

Sheldon stood and glanced at the wriggling man, holding his face.

"It's not exactly legal to shoot an opponent in the face; given the rate a paint ball shoots from the barrel, you could really blind a man," Sheldon told her.

Kate shrugged, saying, "It was close range. He'll be fine."

As they walked back to the barn, having the fight being over, Kate saw Leonard and Penny. They were talking.

"So..." said Leonard awkwardly. He bent on one knee. "What do you say?"

**Author's Note: **This is officially the last chapter of the story but fret not my pretty people, I'm intent on having a sequel ;) As always, Read and Review.


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